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Lithuanian Officials: Armenia-EU Process Relaunch May Take Years

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  • Lithuanian Officials: Armenia-EU Process Relaunch May Take Years

    LITHUANIAN OFFICIALS: ARMENIA-EU PROCESS RELAUNCH MAY TAKE YEARS

    October 9, 2013 - 17:02 AMT

    PanARMENIAN.Net - Representatives of the Lithuanian government warned
    against expectations for initialing any version of the Armenia-EU
    association agreement at a Vilnius Eastern Partnership summit next
    month.

    A number of Lithuanian officials who asked to remain anonymous noted
    the initialling of the deal to be impossible for several reasons,
    one of them being time frame. With only several weeks left till the
    summit launch, introducing amendments to a several hundred pages-long
    document is impossible, the officials note. Also, the association
    agreement being viewed as a single document, a new mandate from
    the European Commission or EU member states is necessary to pick
    out and sign certain parts of the document. As the officials note,
    the process should be started over again with several months if not
    years necessary to complete it.

    According them, disappointed over Armenia's unexpected decision to
    join the Russia-led Customs Union, European officials aren't motivated
    to alter the document before the start of the summit.

    Lithuanian officials, however, show understanding for Armenian
    decision, explaining it by Russia's pressure.

    Lithuania's parliamentary vice-speaker Petras Austrevicius, by
    contrast, was harsh in his criticism of Armenia's decision, noting
    that it came as an unpleasant surprise to Europeans, also violating
    the principles of transparency and consistency.

    "By joining the Customs Union, Armenia will be missing on its chances
    for Eurointegration, also having lower status in EU partnership
    compared with Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia," RFE/RL Armenian service
    quoted him as saying.

    Photo: armenianleaders.wordpress.com

    http://www.panarmenian.net/eng/news/171037/

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