Alexander Rahr: EU cannot only lay claims to Armenia; it should also offer benefits
Europe, which seems inaccessible to many people today, has weakened essentially over the past period, not having the capacity to offer - as it did before - financial assistance to many world countries, says Alexander Rahr, the research director of the German-Russian Forum.
In an interview with Tert.am, the expert shared his comments on the analytical review which Mikayel Minasyan, Armenia’s former ambassador to the Vatican City, Portugal and Malta, published recently in The Huffington Post. Regretting that the country cannot any longer derive any economic benefits, Rahr agreed, on the other hand, that adopting the liberal values to join the big family is absolutely feasible and realistic. In his words, it would be ideal to also eliminate the traditionally existing divide between the East and West.
In his opinion piece published in The Huffington Post, former Armenian Ambassador to the Holy See, Portugal and the Republic of Malta Mikayel Minasyan spoke of the relationship between Armenia and the European Union, addressing also the real expectations. What he said actually is that the agenda directly ''cross-cuts through our priority list '', meaning particularly democracy, well-being and security.
The EU, actually, never offered any assistance to Armenia when it came to security issues; that's absolutely unequivocal. The EU does not simply have that potential. The European Union is currently going through a difficult path, concerned with its own perspectives. Europe was not able to do anything at all to tackle the Armenia-Azerbaijan relations, because they do not have the necessary weight. From the economic standpoind, the European Union's assistance is limited indeed. After the fall of the Berlin Wall some 30 years ago, Europe did really become attractive with its economic potential. The West started expanding, offering a European future to such countries as Poland, the Baltic states, etc. Huge amounts were spent for the implementation of the project, but everybody remained content indeed. Yet, Europe today is not what it used to be; they aren't so rich as they were some 30 or 40 years ago.
Europe does not have enough money to aid poor countries. This is why Europe is now pressing ahead with ideological issues – such as liberty, equality, etc. – instead of economic ones. Poland and the Baltic states, which did really seek an economic progress, opted for Europeanization, but that's now in the past, with Armenia not having any real chances to receive EU assistance. It can only adopt the liberal values and integrate into the family.
The author stated in his article that it is crucial for Armenia to have ''the existing provisional dividing lines between the West and the North disappear a moment earlier'' or at least reduce to a minimum'' - given that many elements of the European set of values re-established themselves in Armenia through the Northern channel. What do you think can eventually eliminate that divide?
Armenia, virtually, found integration into the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) to be economically more beneficial, opting for a close collaboration with the EAEU. The western market is not accessible for Armenian goods, and the western investments are very little in Armenia. Europe is no longer capable of offering the kind of financial assistance it used to. Hence, it is now more a club of ''liberal values''. A question naturally arises as to why those divides - the boundaries, so to speak – do not really disappear. It would be ideal not to have them at all; yet, unfortunately, it isn't what we are facing.
Another point the article highlights is that Europe is inaccessible to people. Is that to say you agree that the existing problems create such an impression?
Yes, Europe does seem inaccessible. I agree to that.
If that troubles the West, why then doesn't the EU seek for accessibility at all?
I think, first of all, it is necessary to cope with the visa liberalization issue to enable people to visit European countries without any problems. It will be a very important signal from the psychological viewpoint.
[The countries] currently benefiting from visa liberalization are Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. Armenia too, will benefit from that, but people in Armenia – like those in the listed countries – will try to go to Europe to never return. Many are even ready to travel, at any price, to any country in the EU to do even a cleaner's job just just in order to reside in Europe ... because in Armenia or any other country, they cannot earn as much as they would in Europe.
That's a gateway to Europe. But the question is whether Armenia will be able to establish those democratic, liberal values. Everything will depend on that. I agree that Europe cannot only lay claims to Armenia – as it should also offer advantages – but is Armenia ready for that?
Do you mean the EU is not going to expand in the near future?
My opinion is, perhaps, philosophical a little bit, but I think the European Union has reached its ''maximum''. So it is unlikely to expand it borders beyond what it has now. The Balkan countries may become members – though the chances are low - but I don't think the EU is planning a further enlargement. The EU has been taken ill in a way as they need reforms for strengthening in order to develop the capacity to act. Armenia's attention, I think, should now focus on the project From Lisbon to Vladivostok. This is not a European Union, yet it offers an encompassing home that can potentially be more promising.
Videos
Interview with Francis Malige, EBRD Managing Director
Armenians Commemorating 106th Anniversary of Genocide
Biden Under Pressure to Recognize Armenian Genocide - KTLA 5 News
Governance and Oversight Capacities Account for Our Bank's Robust Management System - Philip Lynch, Independent Board Member at Ameriabank
'Mr. President, It Is Now in Your Power to Right Decades of Denial' - US Congressman Adam Schiff Urges Joe Biden to Recognize Armenian Genocide
Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh in Despair After Trauma of Military Defeat - France 24
Interview with Kakhaber Kiknavelidze, an Independent Member of Ameriabank Board of Directors
Only Terrorists Keep Hostages, Putting Forward Preconditions for Their Release - Edmon Marukyan
Rep Adam Schiff Says Congress Should Recognize Artsakh
UN's Guterres Issues Global Appeal to Make 2021 'Year of Healing'
NASA's Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover Landing Animations
Azerbaijan Uses Prohibited Phosphorus Chemical Munitions - Defense Army Video
Artsakh Defense Army Units Neutralizing Azerbaijani Arms Supplies
Artsakh Defense Army Units Neutralizing Azerbaijani Drone
Nagorno-Karabakh's Status Has Been At the Heart of Our Approach - Zohrab Mnatsakanyan
Artsakh Defense Army Releases Video Featuring Damaged Azerbaijani Military Equipment
Artsakh Defense Army Units Inflicting Manpower Losses on Azerbaijan
Gas Pipeline Damaged in Azerbaijani Fire Targeting Nagorno-Karabakh's Capital
President Armen Sarkissian Meets Emmanuel Macron at Élysée Palace
Artsakh Defense Army Neutralizes Azerbaijani Military Hardware
Artsakh Defense Army Units Neutralizing Azerbaijani Military Infrastructures
President Armen Sarkissian Meets with NATO Secretary-General in Brussels
Buildings and Homes Lying in Ruins in Nagorno-Karabakh's Capital After Azerbaijani Shelling
Artsakh Defense Army's Precision Fire Gives Deadly Blow to Enemy
Artsakh Defense Army Units Destroying Azerbaijani Tank
Zohrab Mnatsakanyan: Ceasefire Does not Mandate Azerbaijan to Kill Civilians and Hit Civilian Settlements
Armenians Protest Outside Turkrish Embassy in Los Angeles
Losses in Azerbaijan's Military Featured in Defense Army Footage
Artsakh Defense Army Neutralizing Adversary's Transport Column
Turkey openly backs Azerbaijan 'far more aggressively than in the past' - ABC News on Syrian mercenaries fighting in Karabakh
Iconic Armenian Church Hit in Azerbaijani Attacks in Nagorno-Karabakh City (photos)
Artsakh Defense Army Continues High-Precision Strikes
War Situation in Karabakh on European Parliament's Agenda
Call for Urgent Action: Armenian Journalist Brings Intn'l Colleagues' Attention to Situation iin Artsakh After Azerbaijani Attacks
Turkey's Support to Syrian Mercenaries Fighting Against Artsakh: Facts About Azerbaijani Aggression
Nagorno-Karabakh's Capital Under Azerbaijani Strikes
Armenian Armed Forces Neutralize Azerbaijani Defense Positions
ArmenianTroops Destroy Azerbaijani Armored Fighting Vehicle on Frontline
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
- 15:20 • 24.05.21 Interview with Francis Malige, EBRD Managing Director
- 11:39 • 24.04.21 Armenians Commemorating 106th Anniversary of Genocide
- 09:40 • 23.04.21 Biden Under Pressure to Recognize Armenian Genocide - KTLA 5 News
- 15:34 • 22.04.21 Governance and Oversight Capacities Account for Our Bank's Robust Management System - Philip Lynch, Independent Board Member at Ameriabank
- 14:09 • 21.04.21 'Mr. President, It Is Now in Your Power to Right Decades of Denial' - US Congressman Adam Schiff Urges Joe Biden to Recognize Armenian Genocide
- 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
- 17:57 • 26.01.21 Only Terrorists Keep Hostages, Putting Forward Preconditions for Their Release - Edmon Marukyan
- 13:33 • 22.01.21 Rep Adam Schiff Says Congress Should Recognize Artsakh
- 09:42 • 29.12.20 UN's Guterres Issues Global Appeal to Make 2021 'Year of Healing'
- 18:41 • 24.12.20 NASA's Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover Landing Animations
- 13:33 • 31.10.20 Azerbaijan Uses Prohibited Phosphorus Chemical Munitions - Defense Army Video
- 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
- 15:53 • 09.10.20 Artsakh Defense Army Neutralizing Adversary's Transport Column
- 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
Most popular articles Today Yesterday For a week
-
Event 10:00 • 19/03 Mikael Vardanyan donated 117 mln drams for garbage trucks and 230 waste bins for Masis community. Thanks to the provided financial support, it will be possible to collect garbage in Masis city and 26 neighboring communities daily and fully. The total budget of the program amounted to 117 million drams.
-
Event 10:00 • 19/03 Mikael Vardanyan donated 117 mln drams for garbage trucks and 230 waste bins for Masis community. Thanks to the provided financial support, it will be possible to collect garbage in Masis city and 26 neighboring communities daily and fully. The total budget of the program amounted to 117 million drams.
Event
-
14:04 • 06.03.24 Byblos Bank Armenia named CaseKey title sponsor again
Sports
-
12:05 • 26.07.21 Teenage Japanese skateboarder named youngest champion ever
-
12:13 • 23.07.21 Olympics 2020: 12-year-old becomes Tokyo’s youngest champion