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RUSSIA TO IMPOSE MEMBERSHIP TO CUSTOMS UNION ON ARMENIA - EXPERT
TERT.AM
11:44 ~U 12.03.13
Meeting of the Russian President Vladimir Putin and Armenia's President
Serzh Sargsyan will take place today in Russia's capital Moscow.
Serzh Sargsyan's visit to Russia is his first foreign official visit
after his re-election. The two presidents will discuss a wide-range of
issues on bilateral relations, and refer to the issues on development
of integration processes in the CIS territory.
According to non-official information, issues on Customs Union and
Eurasian Union will also be discussed.
Chairman of Globalization and Regional Cooperation Analytical Center's
Council Stepan Grigoryan said Russia will try to impose membership
if not to Eurasian Union but to Customs Union on Armenia.
"I do not see any danger connected with the Eurasian Union, as
this institution is not even embodied yet, and is just an idea,"
the expert said, adding that as to Customs Union, the membership to
which does not stem from Armenia's state interests, is a concrete
operating institution.
"I am rather surprised why an attempt will be made to impose on us
the membership to this institution so soon, as Ukraine, its market,
is much more important for Russia," Grigoryan commented.
"One of the factors why Russia has started speaking with us on
this topic is the opinions that recently Armenia started conducting
balanced policy and the statement of Georgia's Bidzina Ivanishvili
that Armenia's such policy is exemplary," the expert said.
He also stressed that Russia wants Armenia to move with its interests
and tries to lower the degree of Armenia's sovereignty.
Asked why membership to Customs Union does not stem from Armenia's
interests, Stepan Grigoryan said it does not have common border with
any of its member states - neither with Kazakhstan nor with Belarus.
He said while the pre-conditions the European markets dictate to
Armenia are very useful for Armenia's economy. "For instance, working
in accordance with law, so that the quality of the products be high.
As to Russia, everything can be sold there, which does not mean it
is good for us," Grigoryan said.
Speaking to Tert.am earlier, chairman of Armenia's Union of Political
Analysts Hmayak Hovannisian said the issue of re-operation of the
Abkhazian railway may also be on Sargsyan-Putin meeting agenda and
quoted the words of Yedinaya Rossia party member Alexander Dugin who
said that for the sake of integration processes in the post-soviet
territories Russia is ready for 'economic and financial sacrifices.'
In other words, it is ready to take additional burden and on
the account of its resources manage to move the implementation
of integration programs forward and the implementation of the
Transcaucasian railway project may be its embodiment.
Stepan Grigoryan said he has nothing to say in this regard, but
stressed that if Russia is ready to take the expenses on it, the
Customs Union will not be harmful for Armenia.
TERT.AM
11:44 ~U 12.03.13
Meeting of the Russian President Vladimir Putin and Armenia's President
Serzh Sargsyan will take place today in Russia's capital Moscow.
Serzh Sargsyan's visit to Russia is his first foreign official visit
after his re-election. The two presidents will discuss a wide-range of
issues on bilateral relations, and refer to the issues on development
of integration processes in the CIS territory.
According to non-official information, issues on Customs Union and
Eurasian Union will also be discussed.
Chairman of Globalization and Regional Cooperation Analytical Center's
Council Stepan Grigoryan said Russia will try to impose membership
if not to Eurasian Union but to Customs Union on Armenia.
"I do not see any danger connected with the Eurasian Union, as
this institution is not even embodied yet, and is just an idea,"
the expert said, adding that as to Customs Union, the membership to
which does not stem from Armenia's state interests, is a concrete
operating institution.
"I am rather surprised why an attempt will be made to impose on us
the membership to this institution so soon, as Ukraine, its market,
is much more important for Russia," Grigoryan commented.
"One of the factors why Russia has started speaking with us on
this topic is the opinions that recently Armenia started conducting
balanced policy and the statement of Georgia's Bidzina Ivanishvili
that Armenia's such policy is exemplary," the expert said.
He also stressed that Russia wants Armenia to move with its interests
and tries to lower the degree of Armenia's sovereignty.
Asked why membership to Customs Union does not stem from Armenia's
interests, Stepan Grigoryan said it does not have common border with
any of its member states - neither with Kazakhstan nor with Belarus.
He said while the pre-conditions the European markets dictate to
Armenia are very useful for Armenia's economy. "For instance, working
in accordance with law, so that the quality of the products be high.
As to Russia, everything can be sold there, which does not mean it
is good for us," Grigoryan said.
Speaking to Tert.am earlier, chairman of Armenia's Union of Political
Analysts Hmayak Hovannisian said the issue of re-operation of the
Abkhazian railway may also be on Sargsyan-Putin meeting agenda and
quoted the words of Yedinaya Rossia party member Alexander Dugin who
said that for the sake of integration processes in the post-soviet
territories Russia is ready for 'economic and financial sacrifices.'
In other words, it is ready to take additional burden and on
the account of its resources manage to move the implementation
of integration programs forward and the implementation of the
Transcaucasian railway project may be its embodiment.
Stepan Grigoryan said he has nothing to say in this regard, but
stressed that if Russia is ready to take the expenses on it, the
Customs Union will not be harmful for Armenia.