Expert: Armenia's signing EU Association Agreement is the next step of
Armenian market expansion by European companies
by Marianna Lazarian
ARMINFO
Saturday, July 13, 00:33
The topic of Armenia's possible signing the EU Association Agreement
is rather exaggerated in Armenia, Andrey Areshev, research fellow at
the Institute for Political and Social Studies of Black Sea-Caspian
Region, told ArmInfo.
He thinks that the documents may be initialed in Vilnius in November
2013. He said that the real importance of the Association Agreement
for Armenia's economy and Armenian public is absolutely
incommensurable with the promises given to Yerevan. "At least, it
seems so to Moscow", he stressed.
Areshev believes that Armenia's economy faces very serious tasks, in
particular, improvement of the economic situation, strengthening of
the industrial potential, but these tasks rather weakly comply with
the documents to be signed within the frames of the Association
Agreement, because the European Union pursues its own goals - it seeks
to penetrate the South Caucasus markets. Areshev thinks that Armenia's
signing of the EU Association Agreement will lead to Armenian market
expansion by the European companies.
In the meantime, when speaking of Armenia's possible accession to the
Customs Union initiated by Russia, Areshev pointed out the need to
move step by step and consider signing agreements that could harmonize
Armenia's relations with the countries that used to be in a single
economic complex. This will bring more benefit and transparency to the
economic relations between Armenia and the Customs Union members. "I
think integration into the Customs Union has more perspectives than
the Association membership, but here one should not hope for fast
breakthroughs either and should move by easy stages", he said.
When commenting on the opinion that the sale of Russian offensive arms
to Azerbaijan and the growth in the Russian gas prices are Moscow's
penitentiary measures against Armenia for possible signing the EU
Association Agreement and aim to integrate Armenia into the Customs
Union, the expert stressed: "These are separate tracks and it would
not be reasonable to lump everything together. Russia's arms deal with
Azerbaijan had first of all a commercial component". He added that
Russia simultaneously follows the observance of the military balance
between the parties to the Karabakh conflict.
From: Baghdasarian
Armenian market expansion by European companies
by Marianna Lazarian
ARMINFO
Saturday, July 13, 00:33
The topic of Armenia's possible signing the EU Association Agreement
is rather exaggerated in Armenia, Andrey Areshev, research fellow at
the Institute for Political and Social Studies of Black Sea-Caspian
Region, told ArmInfo.
He thinks that the documents may be initialed in Vilnius in November
2013. He said that the real importance of the Association Agreement
for Armenia's economy and Armenian public is absolutely
incommensurable with the promises given to Yerevan. "At least, it
seems so to Moscow", he stressed.
Areshev believes that Armenia's economy faces very serious tasks, in
particular, improvement of the economic situation, strengthening of
the industrial potential, but these tasks rather weakly comply with
the documents to be signed within the frames of the Association
Agreement, because the European Union pursues its own goals - it seeks
to penetrate the South Caucasus markets. Areshev thinks that Armenia's
signing of the EU Association Agreement will lead to Armenian market
expansion by the European companies.
In the meantime, when speaking of Armenia's possible accession to the
Customs Union initiated by Russia, Areshev pointed out the need to
move step by step and consider signing agreements that could harmonize
Armenia's relations with the countries that used to be in a single
economic complex. This will bring more benefit and transparency to the
economic relations between Armenia and the Customs Union members. "I
think integration into the Customs Union has more perspectives than
the Association membership, but here one should not hope for fast
breakthroughs either and should move by easy stages", he said.
When commenting on the opinion that the sale of Russian offensive arms
to Azerbaijan and the growth in the Russian gas prices are Moscow's
penitentiary measures against Armenia for possible signing the EU
Association Agreement and aim to integrate Armenia into the Customs
Union, the expert stressed: "These are separate tracks and it would
not be reasonable to lump everything together. Russia's arms deal with
Azerbaijan had first of all a commercial component". He added that
Russia simultaneously follows the observance of the military balance
between the parties to the Karabakh conflict.
From: Baghdasarian