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ARMENIA AFTER THE VILNIUS SUMMIT
Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
Dec 5 2013
5 December 2013 - 9:58am
Susanna Petrosyan, Yerevan. Exclusively to Vestnik Kavkaza
Armenia's participation in the Eastern Partnership summit, which
recently took place in Vilnius, was limited by signing a joint
statement with the EU, which states its readiness to improve many-sided
cooperation in the spheres of mutual interest. The document is a result
of President Serge Sargsyan's statement on Armenia's intention to join
the Russian-led Customs Union on September 3rd. The results of the
summit caused an ambiguous reaction in political and expert circles
of Armenia. Some supporters of European integration, who are governed
by emotions and panic, speak about a huge loss for Armenia, a failure
of the Western policy, and changes in the EU attitude toward Armenia.
According to expert Grant Kostanyan, as Armenia didn't sign the
association agreement (DCFTA), it lost the opportunity to reform the
economy and the political field. According to the leader of the union
'National Self-Identity', Paruijar Ayrikyan, the President actually
rejected progress of the Armenian nation and made a great mistake.
Supporters of European integration, who heavily criticize the
authorities for choosing the Eurasian direction, are concerned that
Armenia's accession to the CU will lead to a loss of independence
and the country becoming a part of the 'Russian Empire'.
"After September 3rd, Armenia shifted to a new stage which became
the most fatal for the whole history of independence. Sargsyan
who declared that our country was to join the CU gave a mandate to
Russia for governance of Armenia," the head of the 'Consent' Center
of Political Studies, David Shakhnazaryan, is sure.
In return, representatives of the ruling Republican Party emphasize
that Armenia's choice is determined by questions of security, and
there are no intentions to change the choice, while cooperation
between Armenia and the EU will continue.
"Nobody has ever denied that relations between Armenia and Russia are
strategic either during talks with the EU or after them. The EU's
mistake is that they thought that the CU and European integration
are incompatible," the chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on
Foreign Affairs, Artak Zakaryan, says.
In general, in discussions over Armenia's choice of a development path
a moderate and reasonable point of view prevails. Its supporters are
sure that cooperation between Armenia and the EU will continue after
the summit in Vilnius. An opportunity of signing the association
agreement without DCFTA is not excluded.
According to some experts, the Eastern Partnership program launched
dividing lines for Armenia at the stage; it was unacceptable for
such a small country which has problems with neighbors and security
of which is provided by Russia. The other sensitive point of view
is that Russia considered the Eastern Partnership as establishing
dividing lines against it.
In the context of another wave of the geopolitical struggle between
Russia and the West, it is important for Armenia to take a position
which excludes using it as a territory of clashes between world
political centers. "We cannot belong to one system and have bad
relations with another. Armenia is a country of compromises rather
than contradictions. As there are Diasporas in many countries of the
world, we should use our potential for peacemaking between Russia
and the West, " said the former aide of the Armenian president on
national security, Ashot Manucharyan. It seems Armenia succeeds in
this at the current stage.
http://vestnikkavkaza.net/articles/politics/48326.html
Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
Dec 5 2013
5 December 2013 - 9:58am
Susanna Petrosyan, Yerevan. Exclusively to Vestnik Kavkaza
Armenia's participation in the Eastern Partnership summit, which
recently took place in Vilnius, was limited by signing a joint
statement with the EU, which states its readiness to improve many-sided
cooperation in the spheres of mutual interest. The document is a result
of President Serge Sargsyan's statement on Armenia's intention to join
the Russian-led Customs Union on September 3rd. The results of the
summit caused an ambiguous reaction in political and expert circles
of Armenia. Some supporters of European integration, who are governed
by emotions and panic, speak about a huge loss for Armenia, a failure
of the Western policy, and changes in the EU attitude toward Armenia.
According to expert Grant Kostanyan, as Armenia didn't sign the
association agreement (DCFTA), it lost the opportunity to reform the
economy and the political field. According to the leader of the union
'National Self-Identity', Paruijar Ayrikyan, the President actually
rejected progress of the Armenian nation and made a great mistake.
Supporters of European integration, who heavily criticize the
authorities for choosing the Eurasian direction, are concerned that
Armenia's accession to the CU will lead to a loss of independence
and the country becoming a part of the 'Russian Empire'.
"After September 3rd, Armenia shifted to a new stage which became
the most fatal for the whole history of independence. Sargsyan
who declared that our country was to join the CU gave a mandate to
Russia for governance of Armenia," the head of the 'Consent' Center
of Political Studies, David Shakhnazaryan, is sure.
In return, representatives of the ruling Republican Party emphasize
that Armenia's choice is determined by questions of security, and
there are no intentions to change the choice, while cooperation
between Armenia and the EU will continue.
"Nobody has ever denied that relations between Armenia and Russia are
strategic either during talks with the EU or after them. The EU's
mistake is that they thought that the CU and European integration
are incompatible," the chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on
Foreign Affairs, Artak Zakaryan, says.
In general, in discussions over Armenia's choice of a development path
a moderate and reasonable point of view prevails. Its supporters are
sure that cooperation between Armenia and the EU will continue after
the summit in Vilnius. An opportunity of signing the association
agreement without DCFTA is not excluded.
According to some experts, the Eastern Partnership program launched
dividing lines for Armenia at the stage; it was unacceptable for
such a small country which has problems with neighbors and security
of which is provided by Russia. The other sensitive point of view
is that Russia considered the Eastern Partnership as establishing
dividing lines against it.
In the context of another wave of the geopolitical struggle between
Russia and the West, it is important for Armenia to take a position
which excludes using it as a territory of clashes between world
political centers. "We cannot belong to one system and have bad
relations with another. Armenia is a country of compromises rather
than contradictions. As there are Diasporas in many countries of the
world, we should use our potential for peacemaking between Russia
and the West, " said the former aide of the Armenian president on
national security, Ashot Manucharyan. It seems Armenia succeeds in
this at the current stage.
http://vestnikkavkaza.net/articles/politics/48326.html