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Haykakan Zhamanak , Armenia
Nov 21 2012
Between the devil and the deep sea
[Translated from Armenian]
The issue of Armenia's full-fledged participation in EurAsEC [Eurasian
Economic Community], the Customs Union to be established on its basis,
and the Eurasian Union will be raised intensively in December (at
present, Armenia is an observer in EurASEC).
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and Russian President Vladimir Putin
are expected to meet within the framework of the CIS summit to be
held in Ashkhabad [Turkmenistan] in November.
According to reports available to us, Putin will demand that Sargsyan
clearly express his attitude towards Armenia's joining EurAsEc or
remaining an observer.
The point is that the problem of membership in EurAsEC has become a
"criterion" to decide whether Armenia is moving towards the West or
Russia.
Serzh Sargsyan has never expressed his opinion regarding membership in
the EurAsEC as compared to [Armenian] Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan,
who does not miss a single occasion to express his negative attitude.
It is noteworthy that the issue of Armenia's membership periodically
becomes acute.
In particular, the chairperson of Russian Federal Council, Valentina
Matviyenko, arrived in Armenia on 10 July 2012, and the chairman of
State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, Sergey
Naryshkin, visited Armenia two weeks later.
One of the important aims of those visits was to make Armenia join EurAsEC.
On the other hand, the European Union is trying to keep Armenia away
from this USSR-like project.
During the seminar entitled "EU-Armenia integration, establishment of
common attitude towards cooperation of state structures" [held on 20
November in Yerevan], the head of the Political, Economic, Press and
Information Section of the EU Delegation to Armenia, Onno Simons,
expressed the opinion that the establishment of the Eurasian Union is
an attempt to revert to the USSR, so Armenia should understand itself
where its interests lie.
The issue is becoming acute again ahead of the 2013 presidential
election. It is noteworthy that the West-Russia dilemma will have a
major impact on political developments in Armenia.
Time will show how this impact is expressed.
Nov 21 2012
Between the devil and the deep sea
[Translated from Armenian]
The issue of Armenia's full-fledged participation in EurAsEC [Eurasian
Economic Community], the Customs Union to be established on its basis,
and the Eurasian Union will be raised intensively in December (at
present, Armenia is an observer in EurASEC).
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and Russian President Vladimir Putin
are expected to meet within the framework of the CIS summit to be
held in Ashkhabad [Turkmenistan] in November.
According to reports available to us, Putin will demand that Sargsyan
clearly express his attitude towards Armenia's joining EurAsEc or
remaining an observer.
The point is that the problem of membership in EurAsEC has become a
"criterion" to decide whether Armenia is moving towards the West or
Russia.
Serzh Sargsyan has never expressed his opinion regarding membership in
the EurAsEC as compared to [Armenian] Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan,
who does not miss a single occasion to express his negative attitude.
It is noteworthy that the issue of Armenia's membership periodically
becomes acute.
In particular, the chairperson of Russian Federal Council, Valentina
Matviyenko, arrived in Armenia on 10 July 2012, and the chairman of
State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, Sergey
Naryshkin, visited Armenia two weeks later.
One of the important aims of those visits was to make Armenia join EurAsEC.
On the other hand, the European Union is trying to keep Armenia away
from this USSR-like project.
During the seminar entitled "EU-Armenia integration, establishment of
common attitude towards cooperation of state structures" [held on 20
November in Yerevan], the head of the Political, Economic, Press and
Information Section of the EU Delegation to Armenia, Onno Simons,
expressed the opinion that the establishment of the Eurasian Union is
an attempt to revert to the USSR, so Armenia should understand itself
where its interests lie.
The issue is becoming acute again ahead of the 2013 presidential
election. It is noteworthy that the West-Russia dilemma will have a
major impact on political developments in Armenia.
Time will show how this impact is expressed.