Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Vassily Nebenzia thinks that it is necessary that this time the RA-EU imposed new negotiations produce results and the cooperation works. To the question of Aravot.am that the European Commission has received a mandate to commence negotiations with Armenia. The talks on accordance of the new agreement between the EU and Armenia may begin by this year-end. What are your projections for Armenia-EU relations? Are the positive moves and tangible results possible this time? And whether it will not prevent Armenia’s relations with Russia under the EaEU, the Russian deputy minister replied, “I think it is necessary for these negotiations to work out. Secondly, these relationship, I think, would not contradict the Armenian-Russian relations, because we, ourselves, are developing relations with the European Union, of course, up to the moment when the EU ceased wishing to have a relationship with us.”
Mr. Nebenzia reminded that other EaEU partners also have an agreement to cooperate with the EU. To our observation of whether we should not expect any obstacles by Russia on RA-EU new negotiations, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister responded, “We do not impede but rather encourage. It is another issue that this cooperation should not contradict the commitments undertaken by member states within the EaEU, and our Armenian partners are well aware of it.” Vassily Nebenzia also emphasized that they want to cooperate with the EU already in the framework of the EaEU not only bipartite, in Russia-EU format, but also by the format of cooperation between the two organizations. In this regard, he noted, “Recently, we have submitted recommendations for cooperation to the European Commission about how we see the EaEU-EU cooperation. Now, these recommendations are being discussed in Brussels, and let’s see what response we will get.”
Tatev HARUTYUNYAN
