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EXPERT: PUSHING THE ASSOCIATION AGREEMENT WITH THE EU TO THE BACKGROUND, ARMENIA GETS RID OF THREATS TO ITS NATIONAL INTERESTS
by Ashot Safaryan
Friday, October 11, 14:28
Pushing the Association Agreement with the EU to the background,
Armenia gets rid of threats to its national interests i.e. inevitable
abidance by the West's anti- Iranian sanctions, Armenian expert in
regional issues Sergey Shakaryants said in an interview with Regnum.
He said that the EU became the appendage of US strategic policy yet
long ago, and the West-Iran relations remain doubtful.
"Actually, Armenia is an amazing country, as it has somehow
resisted the efforts of the USA and Western Europe to involve it
into anti-Iranian sanctions for 22 years. Why should we observe the
EU's general decisions that apply not only the member-states but
also the countries Associated with the EU, like Turkey, now when
Armenia and Iran are enhancing bilateral cooperation in many fields,
such as construction of an oil processing plant, HPP, railway etc? It
is nonsense. Why should we refuse from favorable relations and trade
with our neighbor to display 'solidarity' with the West? We do not
live in Europe, we border with Iran," he said.
Shakaryan believes that Armenia should not think of yielding part
of its sovereign rights to a supra-national structure within any
integration process.
"Such kind of co-existence with the external world is affordable to
a country that has already fulfilled its national tasks and goals
on the political agenda. Unfortunately, I don't think that Armenia
has achieved that level. The problem of Nagorno Karabakh is a prior
national task of Armenia," he said. The expert is sure that the issue
of customs area threatens the security of the Karabakh people. "This
threat has not been liquidated as long as the Association with the
EU is on Armenia's foreign policy agenda. As regards the CIS Customs
Union, we cannot draw any final conclusions on the issue yet. Experts
have been informed that Armenia will be free to decide its customs
territory and borders in line with its national interests. I think,
this conceals some understatements on the Karabakh issue, but they
are of positive nature," Shakaryants said.
http://www.arminfo.am/index.cfm?objectid=E32A9EF0-325F-11E3-9C760EB7C0D21663
by Ashot Safaryan
Friday, October 11, 14:28
Pushing the Association Agreement with the EU to the background,
Armenia gets rid of threats to its national interests i.e. inevitable
abidance by the West's anti- Iranian sanctions, Armenian expert in
regional issues Sergey Shakaryants said in an interview with Regnum.
He said that the EU became the appendage of US strategic policy yet
long ago, and the West-Iran relations remain doubtful.
"Actually, Armenia is an amazing country, as it has somehow
resisted the efforts of the USA and Western Europe to involve it
into anti-Iranian sanctions for 22 years. Why should we observe the
EU's general decisions that apply not only the member-states but
also the countries Associated with the EU, like Turkey, now when
Armenia and Iran are enhancing bilateral cooperation in many fields,
such as construction of an oil processing plant, HPP, railway etc? It
is nonsense. Why should we refuse from favorable relations and trade
with our neighbor to display 'solidarity' with the West? We do not
live in Europe, we border with Iran," he said.
Shakaryan believes that Armenia should not think of yielding part
of its sovereign rights to a supra-national structure within any
integration process.
"Such kind of co-existence with the external world is affordable to
a country that has already fulfilled its national tasks and goals
on the political agenda. Unfortunately, I don't think that Armenia
has achieved that level. The problem of Nagorno Karabakh is a prior
national task of Armenia," he said. The expert is sure that the issue
of customs area threatens the security of the Karabakh people. "This
threat has not been liquidated as long as the Association with the
EU is on Armenia's foreign policy agenda. As regards the CIS Customs
Union, we cannot draw any final conclusions on the issue yet. Experts
have been informed that Armenia will be free to decide its customs
territory and borders in line with its national interests. I think,
this conceals some understatements on the Karabakh issue, but they
are of positive nature," Shakaryants said.
http://www.arminfo.am/index.cfm?objectid=E32A9EF0-325F-11E3-9C760EB7C0D21663