From 'September 3' to September 3 – Armenia’s path towards Eurasian integration (expert opinions)
About one year ago, Armenia announced a major foreign policy U-turn by deciding to join the Russia-led Eurasian economic bloc. After a meeting in Moscow on September 3, Presidents Serzh Sargsyan of Armenia and Vladimir Putin of Russia issued a joint statement expressing a mutual commitment to develop economic integration processes on the common Eurasian area. What path has Armenia passed ever since? Where has it reached, and what are the outcomes observed? Tert.am has sought the expert and political circles’ comments on the questions concerned.
Aghasi Yenokyan, Director, Armenian Center for International and Political Studies – The key result is probably that Armenia dramatically lost all its chances to head to Europe without reaching any result in joining the [Eurasian] Customs Union either. This can be considered the main outcome. The second major result were the recent tensions along the Karabakh Line of Contact and the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, which lead up to many victims. This was actually the absurd reflection of Russia’s [ambitions] to dominate the region.
Levon Barseghyan, President, Journalists’ Club Asparez (Gyumri) – I think Serzh Sargsyan faced coercion, which is absolutely easy given that there was enough room for blackmail. So he made such a statement, showing consistently active gestures that Armenia strives for the Customs Union (even though there was no such desire). In a word, Armenia demonstrated a non-adequate behavior, isolating itself from the European association perspective.
Hrant Melik-Shahnazaryan, political analyst – First, I wouldn’t say that the past year was successful from the point of the Customs Union membership. All President Serzh Sargsyan did on September 3, 2013 was just to mention that Armenia wishes to join the Customs Union. Considerable work has been done ever since both in the legislative domain and in terms of the economic parameters’ identification. Hence, preparatory work was done both inside and outside of the country. Armenia’s membership negotiations are now complete, with only the document’s signing and a subsequent ratification by parliaments resting with us. So from this point of view, considerable actitivities have been carrited out over the past year, as membership in such unions normally requires longer timeframes.
Sergey Shakaryants, political analyst – I don’t think experts or analysts can present situation the way it really is; unless, of course, they are in the state administration sector. No one is aware of what stage the negotiation process has reached. As for the outcomes, we see Armenia free from the developments that are taking place in Ukraine; I mean from the economic point of view, as the country is now deprived of the Russian subsidies. Armenia has avoided this. In addition to the conditions we had before, we were granted extra privileges. The Russian gas sells for the lowest price in the world at the Armenian border; so do refined oil products. These are big privileges, as a matter of fact.
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There is a solid evidence that Azerbaijan has launched a thoroughly planned attack on the NKR
EU calls for Immediate End to Hostilities over Nagorno-Karabakh
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- 12:37 • 03.04.21 Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh in Despair After Trauma of Military Defeat - France 24
- 17:33 • 11.03.21 Interview with Kakhaber Kiknavelidze, an Independent Member of Ameriabank Board of Directors
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- 16:37 • 30.10.20 Artsakh Defense Army Units Neutralizing Azerbaijani Arms Supplies
- 11:25 • 28.10.20 Artsakh Defense Army Units Neutralizing Azerbaijani Drone
- 13:45 • 24.10.20 Nagorno-Karabakh's Status Has Been At the Heart of Our Approach - Zohrab Mnatsakanyan
- 11:51 • 24.10.20 Artsakh Defense Army Releases Video Featuring Damaged Azerbaijani Military Equipment
- 11:40 • 24.10.20 Artsakh Defense Army Units Inflicting Manpower Losses on Azerbaijan
- 10:39 • 24.10.20 Gas Pipeline Damaged in Azerbaijani Fire Targeting Nagorno-Karabakh's Capital
- 12:41 • 23.10.20 President Armen Sarkissian Meets Emmanuel Macron at Élysée Palace
- 12:16 • 23.10.20 Artsakh Defense Army Neutralizes Azerbaijani Military Hardware
- 12:02 • 22.10.20 Artsakh Defense Army Units Neutralizing Azerbaijani Military Infrastructures
- 10:35 • 22.10.20 President Armen Sarkissian Meets with NATO Secretary-General in Brussels
- 10:51 • 17.10.20 Buildings and Homes Lying in Ruins in Nagorno-Karabakh's Capital After Azerbaijani Shelling
- 15:09 • 15.10.20 Artsakh Defense Army's Precision Fire Gives Deadly Blow to Enemy
- 13:13 • 13.10.20 Artsakh Defense Army Units Destroying Azerbaijani Tank
- 12:56 • 12.10.20 Zohrab Mnatsakanyan: Ceasefire Does not Mandate Azerbaijan to Kill Civilians and Hit Civilian Settlements
- 12:23 • 12.10.20 Armenians Protest Outside Turkrish Embassy in Los Angeles
- 17:23 • 09.10.20 Losses in Azerbaijan's Military Featured in Defense Army Footage
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- 14:11 • 09.10.20 Turkey openly backs Azerbaijan 'far more aggressively than in the past' - ABC News on Syrian mercenaries fighting in Karabakh
- 15:52 • 08.10.20 Iconic Armenian Church Hit in Azerbaijani Attacks in Nagorno-Karabakh City (photos)
- 10:57 • 08.10.20 Artsakh Defense Army Continues High-Precision Strikes
- 14:24 • 07.10.20 War Situation in Karabakh on European Parliament's Agenda
- 19:31 • 05.10.20 Call for Urgent Action: Armenian Journalist Brings Intn'l Colleagues' Attention to Situation iin Artsakh After Azerbaijani Attacks
- 16:17 • 04.10.20 Turkey's Support to Syrian Mercenaries Fighting Against Artsakh: Facts About Azerbaijani Aggression
- 12:39 • 04.10.20 Nagorno-Karabakh's Capital Under Azerbaijani Strikes
- 13:49 • 03.10.20 Armenian Armed Forces Neutralize Azerbaijani Defense Positions
- 10:12 • 29.09.20 ArmenianTroops Destroy Azerbaijani Armored Fighting Vehicle on Frontline
- 23:42 • 28.09.20 There is a solid evidence that Azerbaijan has launched a thoroughly planned attack on the NKR
- 18:45 • 28.09.20 EU calls for Immediate End to Hostilities over Nagorno-Karabakh
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