Getting rid of blockade called EEU imperative – Khachatur Kokobelyan
Chairman of the Free Democrats party Khachatur Kokobelyan, analyzing Armenia’s 3-year membership in the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), says that Armenia’s political and economic life have not made any progress.
“We objected to the idea not because of our political whims or orientation, but because of a cold calculation. The sanctions against Russia, although caused by a biased attitude, could have affected Armenia as an EEU member,” Mr Kokobelyan said.
Speaking of the economic indicators fort 2015 and 2016, he pointed out a 25.5% decrease in trade turnover in January-May, a 31.6% decrease in exports and a 13.2% decrease in imports.
“We have markedly decreased figures,” Mr Kokobelyan said.
He welcomes integration.
“However, it is a good thing when integration involves a leading structure, not an economically - to say nothing of politically – ailing structure. Both the EEU and the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), which are literally adapted to the incumbent Russian authorities’ policy, are actually a process adapted to the circumstances. That is, we cannot view it as a process. It has no major economic program, with each member-state having its own share,” Mr Kokobelyan said.
The gravest problem of Armenia’s EEU membership is that the country has no right to independently fix rates in its relations with third countries.
Commenting on the EEU supporters’ claims that Armenia has to join the EEU for security reasons, Mr Kokoblyan said:
“The EEU behavior after the four-day war [in Nagorno-Karabakh early in April] is no secret to anyone. Except for Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus voiced their open support to Azerbaijan, but not to Armenia, which an EEU and CSTO member-state.”
He recalled a bill on Armenia’s secession from the EEU he submitted to Armenia’s Parliament this April. But debates were postponed for a year.
According to him, a present-day imperative is to “get rid of the blockade called the Eurasian Economic Union.”
“Delaying a year does not mean within for a year. At any moment, even tomorrow, the Standing Committee on Foreign Relations of the National Assembly will hold a meeting to discuss the issue. At this stage we believe it would be better to make it clear by means of negotiations. I regret political forces avoid discussing the issue, and many of them, when it is a question of ‘either…or’, stress Armenia should not leave the EEU now. Also, our private talks with political forces’ representatives make me conclude that, in a short period, we can persuade voters into voting for Armenia’s literal liberation on their own will.”
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