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NO ARMENIA-EU DEAL TO BE INKED IN VILNIUS: EU COMMISSIONER REP.
October 5, 2013 - 12:30 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - No Armenia-EU document is being readied to be
signed at a Vilnius summit, Haykakan Zhamanak daily said citing the
spokesperson of the EU Commissioner Stefan Fule.
"We're trying to find routes for further cooperation with Armenia,
based on the existing achievements," Peter Stano said.
In his address at a PACE fall session, President Serzh Sargsyan
expressed Armenia's readiness to sign the Association Agreement with
the EU at a Vilnius-hosted Eastern Partnership summit. "Armenia
has always stressed that its policy backs combined, rather than
conflicting interests, a view shared by our European Commission
colleagues," Sargsyan said, reiterating Armenia's readiness to sign
the Association Agreement.
Earlier, European Commissioner for Enlargement and European
Neighborhood Policy Stefan Fule has expressed hope that the summit in
Vilnius will ensure the irreversibility of the processes of political
association and economic integration of the Eastern Partnership
countries with the EU.
He further described the summit agenda, including signing of the
Association and free trade agreements with Ukraine, initialing of
similar deals with Moldova and Georgia, inking visa regime facilitation
and readmission deals with Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Armenia completed technical talks on a 'deep and comprehensive
free-trade agreement' (DCFTA) with the EU in July and it was set
to be signed at a summit with the EU in late November. In addition
to a free-trade deal, Armenia has been working towards the signing
of an association agreement with the EU, a framework agreement on
co-operation that is seen as a first step towards political integration
with the EU.
However, during a Sept 3 meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin,
Armenian leader Sargsyan said Armenia is ready to join Customs Union,
with further plans to be involved in formation of the Eurasian Economic
Union. Mr. Putin supported the initiative, vowing procedural assistance
to Armenia.
Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt described Armenia's intention as
a U-turn in relations with the European Union. "Seems as if Armenia
will break talks on free trade agreement with EU and integrate with
Russia instead," he said.
Linas Linkevicius, the Foreign Minister of Lithuania, which holds
the rotating EU presidency, said Armenia "has blocked its chances of
signing a free trade deal with the European Union by choosing to join
the Russia-led union." "We respect any choice of countries but they
cannot enter both organizations at the same time because of different
tariff requirements," he said.
In a separate statement, Linkevicius and seven other ministers
from Nordic and Baltic countries warned against Russian pressure on
post-Soviet states. "Any economic threat or political pressure directed
against Eastern partners because of their European aspirations and
engagement with the EU is unacceptable," they said.
The European Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy,
Stefan Fule said the Customs Union membership is not compatible with
the DCFTAs which have been negotiated with Ukraine, the Republic of
Moldova, Georgia and Armenia.
"This is not because of ideological differences; this is not about
a clash of economic blocs, or a zero-sum game. This is due to legal
impossibilities: for instance, you cannot at the same time lower your
customs tariffs as per the DCFTA and increase them as a result of
the Customs Union membership," he said during the European Parliament
plenary meeting in Strasbourg in a statement on "the pressure exercised
by Russia on countries of the Eastern Partnership."
"It may certainly be possible for members of the Eastern Partnership
to increase their cooperation with the Customs Union, perhaps
as observers; and participation in a DCFTA is of course fully
compatible with our partners' existing free trade agreements with
other Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) states," Fule said.
The Customs Union was formed in 2010 to include of Belarus, Kazakhstan,
and Russia; Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan later expressed willingness to
join the Union.
October 5, 2013 - 12:30 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - No Armenia-EU document is being readied to be
signed at a Vilnius summit, Haykakan Zhamanak daily said citing the
spokesperson of the EU Commissioner Stefan Fule.
"We're trying to find routes for further cooperation with Armenia,
based on the existing achievements," Peter Stano said.
In his address at a PACE fall session, President Serzh Sargsyan
expressed Armenia's readiness to sign the Association Agreement with
the EU at a Vilnius-hosted Eastern Partnership summit. "Armenia
has always stressed that its policy backs combined, rather than
conflicting interests, a view shared by our European Commission
colleagues," Sargsyan said, reiterating Armenia's readiness to sign
the Association Agreement.
Earlier, European Commissioner for Enlargement and European
Neighborhood Policy Stefan Fule has expressed hope that the summit in
Vilnius will ensure the irreversibility of the processes of political
association and economic integration of the Eastern Partnership
countries with the EU.
He further described the summit agenda, including signing of the
Association and free trade agreements with Ukraine, initialing of
similar deals with Moldova and Georgia, inking visa regime facilitation
and readmission deals with Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Armenia completed technical talks on a 'deep and comprehensive
free-trade agreement' (DCFTA) with the EU in July and it was set
to be signed at a summit with the EU in late November. In addition
to a free-trade deal, Armenia has been working towards the signing
of an association agreement with the EU, a framework agreement on
co-operation that is seen as a first step towards political integration
with the EU.
However, during a Sept 3 meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin,
Armenian leader Sargsyan said Armenia is ready to join Customs Union,
with further plans to be involved in formation of the Eurasian Economic
Union. Mr. Putin supported the initiative, vowing procedural assistance
to Armenia.
Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt described Armenia's intention as
a U-turn in relations with the European Union. "Seems as if Armenia
will break talks on free trade agreement with EU and integrate with
Russia instead," he said.
Linas Linkevicius, the Foreign Minister of Lithuania, which holds
the rotating EU presidency, said Armenia "has blocked its chances of
signing a free trade deal with the European Union by choosing to join
the Russia-led union." "We respect any choice of countries but they
cannot enter both organizations at the same time because of different
tariff requirements," he said.
In a separate statement, Linkevicius and seven other ministers
from Nordic and Baltic countries warned against Russian pressure on
post-Soviet states. "Any economic threat or political pressure directed
against Eastern partners because of their European aspirations and
engagement with the EU is unacceptable," they said.
The European Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy,
Stefan Fule said the Customs Union membership is not compatible with
the DCFTAs which have been negotiated with Ukraine, the Republic of
Moldova, Georgia and Armenia.
"This is not because of ideological differences; this is not about
a clash of economic blocs, or a zero-sum game. This is due to legal
impossibilities: for instance, you cannot at the same time lower your
customs tariffs as per the DCFTA and increase them as a result of
the Customs Union membership," he said during the European Parliament
plenary meeting in Strasbourg in a statement on "the pressure exercised
by Russia on countries of the Eastern Partnership."
"It may certainly be possible for members of the Eastern Partnership
to increase their cooperation with the Customs Union, perhaps
as observers; and participation in a DCFTA is of course fully
compatible with our partners' existing free trade agreements with
other Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) states," Fule said.
The Customs Union was formed in 2010 to include of Belarus, Kazakhstan,
and Russia; Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan later expressed willingness to
join the Union.