President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, during his official visit to Armenia, has announced that the European Union still stands ready to deepen the relations with Armenia by working together to open new markets and advancing on a better business-investment climate. He added that the EU is planning to sign a new legal document with Armenia, which will make both Armenia and the European Union happy.
Economist Ashot Yeghiazaryan, in the interview with Aravot.am, said that the Europeans may say so, but Armenia has a problem. “Is Armenia able to make an independent move as the freedom of Armenia’s actions in its relations with foreign partners is limited? Armenia is limited within the EaEU because the EaEU has an agenda and the EaEU strives, in other words, Moscow strives for this agenda to be for the EaEU member countries. In other words, the EaEU acts as a subject rather that an EaEU individual member country, such as Armenia. If Armenia is able to take such a step –bipartite relations with the EU and other countries, this means that Armenia is trying to circumvent the EaEU. It now a rhetorical question: will Armenia go for this move? This is the real situation; making statements are one thing, the current real situation is another thing, because going for such a move means that Armenia is sovereign, while actually it is not.”
Ashot Yeghiazaryan
The economist believes that the EaEU was established just for the countries being under the influence of Russian do not come out from this influence. “Ultimately, the EaEU is the establishment of a single state and a single state means that the EaEU member states shall not be independent and sovereign. In its all relations with the external world, Armenia should communicate by the EaEU structures, and the EaEU has an agenda, which is beyond the agenda of Armenia as a country. On the contrary, this agenda does not also stems from Armenia’s national interest.”
To our observation that various EaEU officials, including also Donald Tusk, have announced that the EU respects Armenia’s decision to join the Eurasian Economic Union, Ashot Yeghiazaryan said, “In all cases, they are waiting for Armenia’s proposals. Without Armenia’s proposals, there can be no such document. The problem is that this is a political process, in other words, the Europeans understand that Armenia is going to be in a desperate situation and as such, Armenia can make a move. Let us note that Russia is weakening and steps back. In other words, a time may come that Armenia may go for such moves, Armenia may present proposals and these proposals will be discussed. At the moment, these are just statements, but which represent processes, however, a platform for discussions, and are more focused on the future rather than this moment. At the moment, there are no preconditions to claim that Armenia is ready and will submit its proposals tomorrow or one month later, and these statements will grow into real actions. But on the background of Russia’s retreat, these statements are also important.”
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Ami CHICHAKYAN
