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ARMENIA'S RULING PARTY INSTRUCTED TO DIVULGE ASSOCIATION AGREEMENT TEXT - EX-PM
12:00 30.08.13
In an interview with Tert.am, a former prime minister of Armenia,
Hrant Bagratyan, has addressed the prospects and the possible negative
impact of the Association Agreement signing. He said particularly
that members of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia have been
instructed to divulge the full text of the document. Bagratyan,
who is now a lawmaker of the opposition Armenian National Congress,
also made his comments on President Serzh Sargsyan's recent statement
on raising the minimal salaries to 90,000 ($221) Drams until 2017.
Mr Bagratyan, as a member of the National Assembly, what information do
you have about the Association Agreement? Have you asked to Ministry
of Foreign Affairs for a copy and what was their response if they
didn't give you one?
I don't need to apply to the Foreign Ministry. As a member of Euranest,
I attended the discussion devoted to the economic bloc of the Agreement
in Brussels at the end of May. The head of the NA Foreign Relations
Committee, as well as representatives of the ruling political party
were asked to make the full text public.
Chairperson of the European Integration Committee Naira Zohrabyan said
she has turned Stefan Fule, European Commissioner for Enlargement and
European Neighbourhood Policy, who promised to unveil the document
once the appropriate moment arrives. Do you think that appropriate
moment is the period proceeding or following the initialing process?
Ms Zohrabyan attended the Brussels discussions too. I cannot make
any comments on Stefan Fule's words.
There are advocates of the Association Agreement initialing, as
well as peope who oppose [to the process]. Yet, there is a third
group which claims that unless the document is in the public domain,
nobody can insist whether any of the integration trends in question
is useful or right for Armenia. Your opinion.
I expressed my opinion as a presidential candidate back in February.
It essentially differed from the approaches of the candidates who
ranked the first and second [Serzh Sargsyan and Raffi Hovhannisyan].
First, such questions have to be resolved only through a referendum
(I have brought the Czech Republic's experience). Secondly, no one
signed any document in this historic period, obliging Armenia Armenia
to make sovereignty concessions. To the best of my knowledge, the
document at issue does not diminish our sovereignty' neither does it
prevent us from fulfilling the obligations which we have undertaken
in relation to other countries. But I say again, that's to the best
of my knowledge. The rest has to do with the referendum.
What's your personal attitude to the signing of the EU Association
Agreement? Does the parliamentary faction representing the Armenian
National Congress have a consensual approach to acceding or refusing
to accede to the Agreement?
If that's the text which I know, it can be signed after the
referendum. As for the ANC party, I would simply ask you to turn
to them.
Can you say what economic prospect the initialing of the Association
Agreement can ensure for Armenia?
Economically, it will enable both us and the Europeans to facilitate
the economic ties and the trading. After all, the Europeans are on
average economically better organized than we are. That will first
offers advantages to them. As to whether or not we will manage to
have more benefits in future, I have no idea about that. I don't
think it succeeds.
Speak of your ideas on possible reactions and counter-measures by
Russia. Will that reduce Russia's economic presence in Armenia,
and how will that affect Armenia's economy?
It's possible that no developments will follow. But a surge in the
natural gas prices and the enforcement of other regimes in relation
to the Armenian products - in the export of the Armenian brandy
or agricultural produce, for instance - is also possible. The most
dangerous thing is the possible bans on the transfers from Russia,
the technical-military cooperation and the restriction of the Russian
imports.
The Armenian President promised to raise the salaries to 90,000 Drams
until 2017. Do you consider that realistic and if so, what resources
will be used to make it possible?
In my presidential platform I offered 111,000 Drams (for 2017), but
the legal proposal offered 72,5000 Drams beginning 2013. The bills
were rejected, but it is the president that makes such a proposal. The
approach is interesting in this respect. Also, it is interesting that
the government's five-year program submitted to the National Assembly
as early as four months ago envisaged a minimal salary of 65,000 Drams
($160), I think. And all of a sudden, the president says something
different from what the government proposes. His approach is more
like ours. And for us, the rights policies on the minimal salary
are a powerful tool to reduce the shadow economy. By and large, an
increase of the minimal salary has nothing to do with the rise of
the real wages.
It's quite possible that the expected constitutional reforms will
result in a transition to a parliamentary government. So look, if
the country faces a political dilemma, that happens only in the case
of presidential elections. As for parliamentary polls, their outcome
is always predetermined. Winners are always the rich and the district
authorities, sometimes even the mafia representatives. The elimination
of the strong presidential institute can lead to a loss of state.
Armenian News - Tert.am
12:00 30.08.13
In an interview with Tert.am, a former prime minister of Armenia,
Hrant Bagratyan, has addressed the prospects and the possible negative
impact of the Association Agreement signing. He said particularly
that members of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia have been
instructed to divulge the full text of the document. Bagratyan,
who is now a lawmaker of the opposition Armenian National Congress,
also made his comments on President Serzh Sargsyan's recent statement
on raising the minimal salaries to 90,000 ($221) Drams until 2017.
Mr Bagratyan, as a member of the National Assembly, what information do
you have about the Association Agreement? Have you asked to Ministry
of Foreign Affairs for a copy and what was their response if they
didn't give you one?
I don't need to apply to the Foreign Ministry. As a member of Euranest,
I attended the discussion devoted to the economic bloc of the Agreement
in Brussels at the end of May. The head of the NA Foreign Relations
Committee, as well as representatives of the ruling political party
were asked to make the full text public.
Chairperson of the European Integration Committee Naira Zohrabyan said
she has turned Stefan Fule, European Commissioner for Enlargement and
European Neighbourhood Policy, who promised to unveil the document
once the appropriate moment arrives. Do you think that appropriate
moment is the period proceeding or following the initialing process?
Ms Zohrabyan attended the Brussels discussions too. I cannot make
any comments on Stefan Fule's words.
There are advocates of the Association Agreement initialing, as
well as peope who oppose [to the process]. Yet, there is a third
group which claims that unless the document is in the public domain,
nobody can insist whether any of the integration trends in question
is useful or right for Armenia. Your opinion.
I expressed my opinion as a presidential candidate back in February.
It essentially differed from the approaches of the candidates who
ranked the first and second [Serzh Sargsyan and Raffi Hovhannisyan].
First, such questions have to be resolved only through a referendum
(I have brought the Czech Republic's experience). Secondly, no one
signed any document in this historic period, obliging Armenia Armenia
to make sovereignty concessions. To the best of my knowledge, the
document at issue does not diminish our sovereignty' neither does it
prevent us from fulfilling the obligations which we have undertaken
in relation to other countries. But I say again, that's to the best
of my knowledge. The rest has to do with the referendum.
What's your personal attitude to the signing of the EU Association
Agreement? Does the parliamentary faction representing the Armenian
National Congress have a consensual approach to acceding or refusing
to accede to the Agreement?
If that's the text which I know, it can be signed after the
referendum. As for the ANC party, I would simply ask you to turn
to them.
Can you say what economic prospect the initialing of the Association
Agreement can ensure for Armenia?
Economically, it will enable both us and the Europeans to facilitate
the economic ties and the trading. After all, the Europeans are on
average economically better organized than we are. That will first
offers advantages to them. As to whether or not we will manage to
have more benefits in future, I have no idea about that. I don't
think it succeeds.
Speak of your ideas on possible reactions and counter-measures by
Russia. Will that reduce Russia's economic presence in Armenia,
and how will that affect Armenia's economy?
It's possible that no developments will follow. But a surge in the
natural gas prices and the enforcement of other regimes in relation
to the Armenian products - in the export of the Armenian brandy
or agricultural produce, for instance - is also possible. The most
dangerous thing is the possible bans on the transfers from Russia,
the technical-military cooperation and the restriction of the Russian
imports.
The Armenian President promised to raise the salaries to 90,000 Drams
until 2017. Do you consider that realistic and if so, what resources
will be used to make it possible?
In my presidential platform I offered 111,000 Drams (for 2017), but
the legal proposal offered 72,5000 Drams beginning 2013. The bills
were rejected, but it is the president that makes such a proposal. The
approach is interesting in this respect. Also, it is interesting that
the government's five-year program submitted to the National Assembly
as early as four months ago envisaged a minimal salary of 65,000 Drams
($160), I think. And all of a sudden, the president says something
different from what the government proposes. His approach is more
like ours. And for us, the rights policies on the minimal salary
are a powerful tool to reduce the shadow economy. By and large, an
increase of the minimal salary has nothing to do with the rise of
the real wages.
It's quite possible that the expected constitutional reforms will
result in a transition to a parliamentary government. So look, if
the country faces a political dilemma, that happens only in the case
of presidential elections. As for parliamentary polls, their outcome
is always predetermined. Winners are always the rich and the district
authorities, sometimes even the mafia representatives. The elimination
of the strong presidential institute can lead to a loss of state.
Armenian News - Tert.am