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ARMENIA READY TO SIGN ASSOCIATION AGREEMENT WITH EU - PRESIDENT SARGSYAN
Interfax, Russia
Oct 2 2013
YEREVAN. Oct 2
Armenia intends to sign an association agreement with the European
Union in the field of political reforms at the EU Vilnius summit this
November, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said.
"We will participate in the Vilnius summit. We are still prepared to
sign the association agreement with the EU. But after we announced
our plans to join the Customs Union, our European colleagues said it
would be in stark conflict with the free trade agreement. I declare
that we will carry on reforms in our country and that we are ready
to sign the association agreement addressing political reforms,"
Sargsyan told European deputies at the Strasbourg session of the
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).
He said Armenia was negotiating the document it might sign in Vilnius.
"We agreed with our European colleagues that from the very start
that our relations with the EU would not develop to the detriment
of our allies but would be mutually beneficial. This understanding
was good for more than three years. I regret that our colleagues in
the EU believe a free trade agreement would be incompatible with the
Customs Union," Sargsyan said.
Yerevan has not deviated from its path, the Armenian president said.
"The Customs Union is not just Russia but a number of countries. I
believe it is totally senseless to speak about any pressure from
Russia on our decisions. The wish we have expressed is rooted
in simple reality. We have been living in a security system that
includes Customs Union countries for more than 20 years. Furthermore,
we cannot isolate ourselves from the economic and geographic region
in which we live. Nevertheless, we will continue to cooperate closely
with the European Union," the Armenian president said.
Te cm
From: A. Papazian
Interfax, Russia
Oct 2 2013
YEREVAN. Oct 2
Armenia intends to sign an association agreement with the European
Union in the field of political reforms at the EU Vilnius summit this
November, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said.
"We will participate in the Vilnius summit. We are still prepared to
sign the association agreement with the EU. But after we announced
our plans to join the Customs Union, our European colleagues said it
would be in stark conflict with the free trade agreement. I declare
that we will carry on reforms in our country and that we are ready
to sign the association agreement addressing political reforms,"
Sargsyan told European deputies at the Strasbourg session of the
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).
He said Armenia was negotiating the document it might sign in Vilnius.
"We agreed with our European colleagues that from the very start
that our relations with the EU would not develop to the detriment
of our allies but would be mutually beneficial. This understanding
was good for more than three years. I regret that our colleagues in
the EU believe a free trade agreement would be incompatible with the
Customs Union," Sargsyan said.
Yerevan has not deviated from its path, the Armenian president said.
"The Customs Union is not just Russia but a number of countries. I
believe it is totally senseless to speak about any pressure from
Russia on our decisions. The wish we have expressed is rooted
in simple reality. We have been living in a security system that
includes Customs Union countries for more than 20 years. Furthermore,
we cannot isolate ourselves from the economic and geographic region
in which we live. Nevertheless, we will continue to cooperate closely
with the European Union," the Armenian president said.
Te cm
From: A. Papazian