Ratification of EU-Armenia deal ‘unrelated to domestic political developments ’ – parliament official
The ratification of the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA), which Armenia signed in November, is absolutely unrelated to the current political developments in the country, according to a senior lawmaker.
Speaking to Tert.am, Armen Ashotyan, the head of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Foreign Relations Armen Ashotyan, said the document is now on the agenda of several EU member countries. “Ratification [procedures] are now simultaneously under way in different EU member states - thanks also to the parliamentary diplomacy’s efforts,” he noted.
Ashotyan highlighted particularly the democracy development principle enshrined in the document. “It stands to reason that the agreement will be eventually ratified even under conditions of the ‘opposition-minded’ logic. So if they [the political opposition] do really see a problem, then that ratification should be completed within the shortest possible timeframes to promote the development of democracy institutions in Armenia to enable us to meet the European standards,” the parliament official added.
He also recommended his colleagues in the ruling Republican Party to “avoid confusing the domestic political agenda with the foreign policy challenges”. “It is my delicate but also very important hint to my colleagues. The foreign policy challenges we are facing today are not going to change in Armenia's history for the foreseeable future – regardless of the form, quality and configuration of the government,” he noted.
Ashotyan said he also believes that the foreign policy challenges should be the same for both the governing coalition (Republican and the Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Dashnaksutyun) and the opposition parties (Tsarukyan alliance, Yelk parliamentary faction). “It is important to keep the [two] agendas distinct from each other. I want to also call your attention to the fact that reports on Armenia, Artsakh [Nagorno-Karabakh] and Azerbaijan are now in circulation in different international organizations. My desire, therefore, is to prevent our enemies from succeeding in their diplomatic efforts because of our domestic political problem, and the existing disagreements here,” warned the Republican politician.
Asked whether speculations by EU member states are nonetheless possible in the current situation, Ashotyan said he prefers “avoiding theoretical assumptions”. “Armenia pursues a uniform foreign political agenda. The challenges do not target the political parties; they address the Republic of Armenia, all its citizens in essence. So notwithstanding the political agenda, I call for vigilance to avoid weakening our positions in the foreign political domain, especially in the context of the Artsakh conflict settlement, and the developments surrounding the process,” Ashotyan added.
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