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EU NOT WAITING FOR ARMENIA WITH OPEN ARMS: RUSSIAN SENATOR SAYS
YEREVAN, November 29. / ARKA /. Armenia's possible accession to the
EU would not justify expectations of part of its citizens, because no
one in the EU is waiting for Armenia with open arms, Nikolay Ryzhkov,
the co-chairman of the Russian-Armenian inter-parliamentary cooperation
commission, and a member of the Russian Federation Council, the upper
chamber of the Russian parliament, said today in Yerevan.
"Some people think the main focus should be on the European
integration, which they say is real, while the proposed Eurasian Union
is just an idea. My personal opinion is that these people should not
indulge in illusions,' he said at a news conference in the Armenian
parliament.
Ryzhkov said 20 years ago Russians discussed hotly the possible
integration with the West, as its opponents warned that "the West
needs Russia completely for other purposes" and they appeared to be
right. No one was waiting for us there, and we gradually slid to our
former position. It is certainly Armenians' business. If you want to
become part of European community, go ahead, but please have in mind
no one there will welcome you with kisses," he said.
As for Eurasian integration Ryzhkov said when this idea is translated
into reality it will equally reflect the interests of all member
countries.
"The Eurasian Union will be the union of old friends, because it is
already 20 years we are different countries, but we still hail from
the same nest ," he added.
The idea of the Eurasian Union was first proposed in 1994 by Kazakh
President Nursultan Nazarbayev. In early October 2011, in an article
for "Izvestia" daily Russia's Putin wrote that the Eurasian Union could
be set up on the basis of the customs union of Russia, Belarus and
Kazakhstan. The article said the Eurasian Union is not an attempt to
restore former Soviet Union or replace the CIS, but an effective "link"
between Europe and the Asia-Pacific region, with close coordination
of economic and monetary policies of member states.
The EU has been negotiating an Association Agreement with Armenia
since July 2010 in the framework of the Eastern Partnership and the
European Neighborhood Policy. The future Deep and Comprehensive Free
Trade Area will be part of this Agreement, which aims at closely
associating this country to the EU both in economic and political
terms, in line with the Eastern Partnership objectives. The future
trade relations will therefore expand significantly beyond the scope
of current cooperation, set out in the Partnership and Cooperation
Agreements, in force since July 1999. -0-
YEREVAN, November 29. / ARKA /. Armenia's possible accession to the
EU would not justify expectations of part of its citizens, because no
one in the EU is waiting for Armenia with open arms, Nikolay Ryzhkov,
the co-chairman of the Russian-Armenian inter-parliamentary cooperation
commission, and a member of the Russian Federation Council, the upper
chamber of the Russian parliament, said today in Yerevan.
"Some people think the main focus should be on the European
integration, which they say is real, while the proposed Eurasian Union
is just an idea. My personal opinion is that these people should not
indulge in illusions,' he said at a news conference in the Armenian
parliament.
Ryzhkov said 20 years ago Russians discussed hotly the possible
integration with the West, as its opponents warned that "the West
needs Russia completely for other purposes" and they appeared to be
right. No one was waiting for us there, and we gradually slid to our
former position. It is certainly Armenians' business. If you want to
become part of European community, go ahead, but please have in mind
no one there will welcome you with kisses," he said.
As for Eurasian integration Ryzhkov said when this idea is translated
into reality it will equally reflect the interests of all member
countries.
"The Eurasian Union will be the union of old friends, because it is
already 20 years we are different countries, but we still hail from
the same nest ," he added.
The idea of the Eurasian Union was first proposed in 1994 by Kazakh
President Nursultan Nazarbayev. In early October 2011, in an article
for "Izvestia" daily Russia's Putin wrote that the Eurasian Union could
be set up on the basis of the customs union of Russia, Belarus and
Kazakhstan. The article said the Eurasian Union is not an attempt to
restore former Soviet Union or replace the CIS, but an effective "link"
between Europe and the Asia-Pacific region, with close coordination
of economic and monetary policies of member states.
The EU has been negotiating an Association Agreement with Armenia
since July 2010 in the framework of the Eastern Partnership and the
European Neighborhood Policy. The future Deep and Comprehensive Free
Trade Area will be part of this Agreement, which aims at closely
associating this country to the EU both in economic and political
terms, in line with the Eastern Partnership objectives. The future
trade relations will therefore expand significantly beyond the scope
of current cooperation, set out in the Partnership and Cooperation
Agreements, in force since July 1999. -0-