Tweet
EU HELPS DEVELOPING, CSTO DOES NOT
Naira Hayrumyan
Story from Lragir.am News:
http://www.lragir.am/engsrc/comments26213.html
Published: 12:12:54 - 16/05/2012
While during the CIS and CTSO summits in Moscow Vladimir Putin said the
CIS members are the main strategic partners of Russia, the European
Commission announced about the roadmap it has worked out ahead of
the Eastern Partnership summit in Vilnius, Lithuania. The roadmap
is called to boost by joint efforts the political association and
economic integration of Eastern Partnership member states with the EU,
said the EU commissioner for enlargement Stefan Fule.
"Armenia has achieved significant progress in the creation of
conditions ensuring the start of negotiations over the creation of a
Free trade zone. Overall, Armenia has progressed also regarding the
human rights and democracy issues", the European Commission report
runs. It is noteworthy that the European Union called to ensure
accessibility of Nagorno-Karabakh and adjacent territories to its
representatives without any preconditions.
Today the Russian Vedomosti published an article of the Armenian
premier in which he actually stated that the economic integration
into the CIS is not beneficial to Armenia in the sense that they
don't have common borders and so this won't boost economic growth in
Armenia. He stated that Armenia's cooperation with the European Union
is much more beneficial since it changes Armenia to comply with the
European standards.
"The agreement on free trade zone with the EU will ensure significant
progress in Armenia and will enhance export and import," says Tigran
Sargsyan in the aforementioned article.
Actually, the forecasts of the analysts that the RPA faction
will represent the European trend, while the Prosperous Armenia
will represent the Russian trend, Heritage and Free Democrats the
pro-American trend, turn out to be true. Despite supporters of the
Eurasian Union on the Republican list, Tigran Sargsyan's article
shows that the RPA will be inclined for association with the EU.
What can Russia do to prevent such course of developments? The first
statement has already been made. Dmitri Medvedev promised Serzh
Sargsyan "to support by all means the social-economic development
of Armenia." This means that Russia may lend more money to Armenia
"to save the economy". A similar step was taken in 2009 when it became
clear that Armenia's economy cannot deal with the crisis alone. Later,
this loan was referred to for hundreds of times as a symbol of the
Armenian-Russian friendship.
Will Armenia accept the loan? Judging by Tigran Sargsyan's interview,
Armenia may refuse.
The strengthening of the CSTO may become an argument for Russia to
attract Armenia. CSTO's members facing security challenges, it serves
as support to the ruling regimes in the member states. This time, the
final resolution of the CSTO summit did not specify common challenges
of member states.
Nursultan Nazarbayev stated that CSTO leaders discussed in a
narrow circle further development of collective measures, including
counteraction to threats and challenges coming from Afghanistan. The
situation in the Near East, developments in Syria and Iranian nuclear
issues were also among the discussed topics.
All this can hardly be called issues of vital importance for Armenia.
But its authorities may be interested in Lukashenko's statement:
"No one will attack CSTO countries openly but many are eager to carry
out coups."
Naira Hayrumyan
Story from Lragir.am News:
http://www.lragir.am/engsrc/comments26213.html
Published: 12:12:54 - 16/05/2012
While during the CIS and CTSO summits in Moscow Vladimir Putin said the
CIS members are the main strategic partners of Russia, the European
Commission announced about the roadmap it has worked out ahead of
the Eastern Partnership summit in Vilnius, Lithuania. The roadmap
is called to boost by joint efforts the political association and
economic integration of Eastern Partnership member states with the EU,
said the EU commissioner for enlargement Stefan Fule.
"Armenia has achieved significant progress in the creation of
conditions ensuring the start of negotiations over the creation of a
Free trade zone. Overall, Armenia has progressed also regarding the
human rights and democracy issues", the European Commission report
runs. It is noteworthy that the European Union called to ensure
accessibility of Nagorno-Karabakh and adjacent territories to its
representatives without any preconditions.
Today the Russian Vedomosti published an article of the Armenian
premier in which he actually stated that the economic integration
into the CIS is not beneficial to Armenia in the sense that they
don't have common borders and so this won't boost economic growth in
Armenia. He stated that Armenia's cooperation with the European Union
is much more beneficial since it changes Armenia to comply with the
European standards.
"The agreement on free trade zone with the EU will ensure significant
progress in Armenia and will enhance export and import," says Tigran
Sargsyan in the aforementioned article.
Actually, the forecasts of the analysts that the RPA faction
will represent the European trend, while the Prosperous Armenia
will represent the Russian trend, Heritage and Free Democrats the
pro-American trend, turn out to be true. Despite supporters of the
Eurasian Union on the Republican list, Tigran Sargsyan's article
shows that the RPA will be inclined for association with the EU.
What can Russia do to prevent such course of developments? The first
statement has already been made. Dmitri Medvedev promised Serzh
Sargsyan "to support by all means the social-economic development
of Armenia." This means that Russia may lend more money to Armenia
"to save the economy". A similar step was taken in 2009 when it became
clear that Armenia's economy cannot deal with the crisis alone. Later,
this loan was referred to for hundreds of times as a symbol of the
Armenian-Russian friendship.
Will Armenia accept the loan? Judging by Tigran Sargsyan's interview,
Armenia may refuse.
The strengthening of the CSTO may become an argument for Russia to
attract Armenia. CSTO's members facing security challenges, it serves
as support to the ruling regimes in the member states. This time, the
final resolution of the CSTO summit did not specify common challenges
of member states.
Nursultan Nazarbayev stated that CSTO leaders discussed in a
narrow circle further development of collective measures, including
counteraction to threats and challenges coming from Afghanistan. The
situation in the Near East, developments in Syria and Iranian nuclear
issues were also among the discussed topics.
All this can hardly be called issues of vital importance for Armenia.
But its authorities may be interested in Lukashenko's statement:
"No one will attack CSTO countries openly but many are eager to carry
out coups."