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EU GIVES ARMENIA "LAST CHANCE" OF REVISING DECISION ON CUSTOMS UNION
168 Zham, Armenia
Oct 31 2013
[Translated from Armenian]
European diplomatic and expert circles have recently changed their
assessments regarding future ties with Armenia to a certain extent
in the context of political and propaganda-related attacks on Armenia
by countries members of the [Russian-dominated] Customs Union.
At present, more opinions are being voiced that Armenia's European
future is not totally lost, that Europe should fight for Armenia,
and that the association agreement and the free trade area agreement
continue to be on the agenda of relations between EU and Armenia
instead of the evaluations sounding like hopelessness and sorrow
following 3 September [when Armenia's intention to join the Customs
Union was made public].
The message of the Europeans is very clear: If Armenia manages to
renounce the decision to join the Customs Union in any way before
the summit of the Eastern Partnership Programme to be held at the
end of November in Vilnius, they are ready to initial the association
agreement and the agreement on free trade area with their same content.
Naturally, Europeans can see how countries members of the Customs
Union are treating Armenia. They can hear comments and statements
on coordinating Armenia's membership [in the Customs Union] with
Azerbaijan, and they record all those steps, which may become a
profound ground for the Armenian authorities for reviewing their
decision to join the Customs Union.
Of course, revision of the decision to join the Customs Union by
Armenia and the initialling of the signature of the association
agreement with the EU seems unrealistic at a glance.
However, this is unrealistic and non-serious to the same extent as the
prospect to join the Customs Union was before 3 September. Europeans
understand this as well and give the Armenian authorities the last
chance to use the obstacles created by "partners" in the Customs Union
and to revise that decision, which, as they [Armenian authorities] told
almost all EU officials, was made under pressure from the Russian side.
[Translated from Armenian]
168 Zham, Armenia
Oct 31 2013
[Translated from Armenian]
European diplomatic and expert circles have recently changed their
assessments regarding future ties with Armenia to a certain extent
in the context of political and propaganda-related attacks on Armenia
by countries members of the [Russian-dominated] Customs Union.
At present, more opinions are being voiced that Armenia's European
future is not totally lost, that Europe should fight for Armenia,
and that the association agreement and the free trade area agreement
continue to be on the agenda of relations between EU and Armenia
instead of the evaluations sounding like hopelessness and sorrow
following 3 September [when Armenia's intention to join the Customs
Union was made public].
The message of the Europeans is very clear: If Armenia manages to
renounce the decision to join the Customs Union in any way before
the summit of the Eastern Partnership Programme to be held at the
end of November in Vilnius, they are ready to initial the association
agreement and the agreement on free trade area with their same content.
Naturally, Europeans can see how countries members of the Customs
Union are treating Armenia. They can hear comments and statements
on coordinating Armenia's membership [in the Customs Union] with
Azerbaijan, and they record all those steps, which may become a
profound ground for the Armenian authorities for reviewing their
decision to join the Customs Union.
Of course, revision of the decision to join the Customs Union by
Armenia and the initialling of the signature of the association
agreement with the EU seems unrealistic at a glance.
However, this is unrealistic and non-serious to the same extent as the
prospect to join the Customs Union was before 3 September. Europeans
understand this as well and give the Armenian authorities the last
chance to use the obstacles created by "partners" in the Customs Union
and to revise that decision, which, as they [Armenian authorities] told
almost all EU officials, was made under pressure from the Russian side.
[Translated from Armenian]