“The document was initialed and should be signed in November, as it was planned. I think a political agreement is in place. This is the greatest guarantee”, said Shirak Torosyan, Member of Committee of Foreign Affairs of the Parliament from the Republican Party of Armenia. We had asked the MP about Armenia-EU Framework Agreement, scheduled for November.
Let us remind you that two days ago the draft document was submitted to the European Parliament. Fair concerns were voiced that this document could have the destiny of the EU-Armenia Association Agreement and the Free and Comprehensive Trade Agreement being negotiated for 4 years. In 2013, Armenia was re-oriented overnight by choosing the Customs Union.
To the clarifying question, that is to say, an occasion to worry that this agreement may get the destiny of the previous one, the deputy representing the ruling power said: “I think there is no need for such concern. A political agreement is in place and there is an assurance from our authorities that the agreement will be signed. So I do not see any need to worry.”
It should be reminded that at that time alike, the Armenian government ahead of Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan, assured that Armenia would sign the Association Agreement with the EU just a few days before the decision to join the Customs Union, by the way, on the way to Moscow. The same was done by NA President Galust Sahakyan in the morning of Serzh Sargsyan’s decision to join the Customs Union.
The Council of Europe MPs also expressed worries and concerns over the intensification of the Karabakh conflict.
Is it possible that border tensions prevent the signing of a new Armenia-EU framework agreement? Shirak Torosyan reminds that Armenia is for the peaceful settlement of the issue and argues that the negotiation process is currently failing due to the efforts of the Azerbaijani side.
He considers the last Mammadyarov-Nalbandian meeting as a negotiation over the resumption of negotiations, which did not succeed. “The negotiations are in a deadlock today, as border tensions, which Azerbaijan provokes, do not give an opportunity to address the issue itself. In this situation, the Armenian side is rightly opposed to refer to the main problems of Artsakh conflict, as long as the conditions for solving the problem are not provided. It is about the fulfillment of agreements of Vienna and St. Petersburg”, said our Mr. Torosyan adding that there is a need to think whether tensions on the border would hinder the signing of the Armenia-EU agreement, as everything depends on the scale of the tension, possible force majeure situations.
The MP representing the incumbent RPA considers such conversations “an ordered concert”: “It is ridiculous to talk about Armenia from that perspective when Azerbaijan conducts a total khan governance. And when an issue arises, the comparison should be in that field. If Armenia is blamed for such an issue comparing it with a country having khan governance system, then everything is clear and disgusting. It is obvious that his hiccup has either an odor of oil or caviar.”
Nelly GRIGORYAN
