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ARMENIA TO BALANCE ITS RELATIONS WITH RUSSIA, EU: EXPERT
People's Daily Online, China
Aug 23 2013
(Xinhua) 20:31, August 23, 2013
YEREVAN, Armenia, Aug. 23 (Xinhua) -- Armenia will maintain its
traditional friendship with Russia while developing relations with
the European Union (EU), a political analyst has said.
"Russia needs Armenia no less than Armenia needs Russia, as Russia
cannot have such deep, comprehensive and friendly relations with other
countries in the South Caucasus," Aleksandr Iskandaryan, director of
the Caucasus Institute, a policy think-tank based here, told Xinhua
in a recent interview.
Iskandaryan said it is of utmost importance for Armenia to assure its
strategic partner Russia there was nothing to fear from the central
Asian nation's relations with the EU.
He said Armenia developes its relations with Russia on the basis of
security and gas supply, while the Armenia-EU relationship mainly
focuses on economic cooperation.
Armenia, along with three other countries in the region - Ukraine,
Moldova and Georgia, is expected to sign an association agreement with
the EU, which would deepend economic cooperationi with the European
bloc, Iskandaryan said.
On Armenia-China relations, the expert said: "China and Armenia do
not have any problems in the region and, due to that fact, the future
of their relations can be very fruitful."
Iskandaryan said the geographic position of Armenia at the crossroads
of Europe and Asia is an "asset" China could consider in developing
its relations with the region.
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90777/8376343.html
People's Daily Online, China
Aug 23 2013
(Xinhua) 20:31, August 23, 2013
YEREVAN, Armenia, Aug. 23 (Xinhua) -- Armenia will maintain its
traditional friendship with Russia while developing relations with
the European Union (EU), a political analyst has said.
"Russia needs Armenia no less than Armenia needs Russia, as Russia
cannot have such deep, comprehensive and friendly relations with other
countries in the South Caucasus," Aleksandr Iskandaryan, director of
the Caucasus Institute, a policy think-tank based here, told Xinhua
in a recent interview.
Iskandaryan said it is of utmost importance for Armenia to assure its
strategic partner Russia there was nothing to fear from the central
Asian nation's relations with the EU.
He said Armenia developes its relations with Russia on the basis of
security and gas supply, while the Armenia-EU relationship mainly
focuses on economic cooperation.
Armenia, along with three other countries in the region - Ukraine,
Moldova and Georgia, is expected to sign an association agreement with
the EU, which would deepend economic cooperationi with the European
bloc, Iskandaryan said.
On Armenia-China relations, the expert said: "China and Armenia do
not have any problems in the region and, due to that fact, the future
of their relations can be very fruitful."
Iskandaryan said the geographic position of Armenia at the crossroads
of Europe and Asia is an "asset" China could consider in developing
its relations with the region.
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90777/8376343.html