No document has been signed between Armenia and EU in the Riga Summit. The President of Armenia signed the Riga Declaration. There is a reference here to the cooperation with Armenia and the settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. According to the Declaration, it is expected to start negotiations with Armenia on visa-free access. The Eastern Partnership countries should be free to determine their own future. Serzh Sargsyan made a speech in Riga saying, “Armenia’s European agenda remains one of the priorities of the foreign policy.” Although, circles close to the government, based on these events, rush to be excited that a progress has been recorded in Armenia-EU relations, often referring to Angela Merkel’s statement that the principle of either-or is unacceptable for her, which is put before the countries for having an access to the EaEU and EU. However, as seen, there are no tangible results associated with Armenia.
In the conversation with Aravot.am, such an impression was conveyed by the Vice-Chairman of “Heritage” party Armen Martirosyan. According to him, until there is no new document, it is the “Status Quo” situation. As for approaching Armenia’s access to the EaEU with understanding, Mr. Martirosyan opines that a second small chance is given to our country, but the privileges and the special treatment that was defined by the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement no longer exist. To our observation whether an impression was not created that Armenia has assumed the role of Russia’s defender in Riga, as it was even refusing to sign the declaration, in which there was a provision about the annexation of the Crimea, Mr. Martirosyan responded, “This is not new. Armenia leaves such an impression since the UN voting. Not Armenia’s deepening partnership with Russia but Armenia’s Russification by the RA authorities becomes apparent.”
To our observation, although we constantly compare ourselves to Azerbaijan that Armenia was participating in the Riga Summit at the level of the Foreign Ministry, but we should note that the Declaration contains only a general type of provision regarding the issue of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement, whereas there is no word about the rights of nations to self-determination, therefore, which is our victory here, Mr. Martirosyan responded that perhaps it is a victory for the government as it supports the Madrid principles, but the majority of the public is against. “It would be an acceptable option if as in the case of Kosova so as in the case of the Karabakh, the European authorities would recognize the Karabakh’s autocracy”.
Back to the speech of the President of Armenia, Armen Martirosyan noted that good texts are written that does not meet the reality. Armen Martirosyan does not think that an RA-EU document will be signed in the future. Moreover, he doubts that this European flirtation-2 is associated with the constitutional reforms and the elections and that the Europeans would recognize the constitutional amendments and the next rigged elections. And after that, Armen Martirosyan predicts “September 3” -2. “The RA authorities may say that we should enter into the composition of Russia. Entering into the composition of Russia after the EaEU is one step.”
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Tatev HARUTYUNYAN
