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ARAVOT: EU FORCED ARMENIA TO CHOOSE CUSTOMS UNION, SAYS RUSSIAN OFFICIAL
11:00 ~U 11.10.13
An advisor to the Russian president has said in an interview with the
paper that Armenia's decision to join the Eurasian Customs Union was
a step forced by the EU, as a matter of fact.
Sergey Glazev said particularly that the EU might have been interested
in such a scenario to deprive Armenia from its sovereignty.
Below is an excerpt from the interview.
Mr. Glazev, what changes did the Armenian-Russian relations, or
probably, the geopolitical processes see over the course of one year
that Russia forced Armenia to make a hasty decision?
Russia never forces anything; Russia cooperates with Armenia. In the
course of the newest history, there have been practically no fears
or concerns. The problem is about the wording of the relations. We
haven't publicly talked to Armenia over membership in the Eurasian
Customs Union; the given country has to be a full member of the common
Eurasian economic community. This is how our documents are formed.
Armenia has been an observer member of EurAsEs and has an active
involvement in different projects, including the Anti-Crisis Fund
Technology Center etc
And in this context - given that Armenia does not have a common
customs border - the question as to how much Armenia's accession to
the common customs area will be effective has been discussed many
times. The general expert opinions center on the idea that Armenia can
form part of the common customs area. We have free trade, as it is,
without customs duties, so the elimination of customs procedures could
in that sense play a big role if there were a common customs border.
But because there isn't - as is the case with the Kaliningrad region -
there will be customs procedures.
The formation of the Eurasian Economic Union has been in progress
recently, as you are aware, so agreements concerning the common
economic area will be effective within the Union. And Armenia has
great interests here. A common economic area offers an opportunity
of purchasing natural gas at prices effective on the Customs Union's
domestic market. That's to say, Armenia is offered guarantees of
permanent and cheap supplies of gas resources. Export duties will not
be functional on the Eurasian common economic area; hence Armenia
will receive oil and oil supplies for free. The same goes for the
electric power and transport services market.
... Another factor was the EU pressures against Armenia with the
purpose of integration. Armenia was practically offered to become a
wagon for the EU on discriminatory conditions - as was the case with
Ukraine - with Brussels being given all the rights and later requiring
that [Armenia] fulfill its instruction, as opposed to the functions
which we have given to the Customs Union. So, we haven't pushed
Armenian to decide on acceding to the Customs Union; it was the EU,
which sought persistently to deprive Armenia of its sovereignty. To
maintain independence and the balanced relations with the Russian
Federation the Armenian president had to make a corresponding political
decision under such a pressure.
http://www.tert.am/en/news/2013/10/11/aravot2/
11:00 ~U 11.10.13
An advisor to the Russian president has said in an interview with the
paper that Armenia's decision to join the Eurasian Customs Union was
a step forced by the EU, as a matter of fact.
Sergey Glazev said particularly that the EU might have been interested
in such a scenario to deprive Armenia from its sovereignty.
Below is an excerpt from the interview.
Mr. Glazev, what changes did the Armenian-Russian relations, or
probably, the geopolitical processes see over the course of one year
that Russia forced Armenia to make a hasty decision?
Russia never forces anything; Russia cooperates with Armenia. In the
course of the newest history, there have been practically no fears
or concerns. The problem is about the wording of the relations. We
haven't publicly talked to Armenia over membership in the Eurasian
Customs Union; the given country has to be a full member of the common
Eurasian economic community. This is how our documents are formed.
Armenia has been an observer member of EurAsEs and has an active
involvement in different projects, including the Anti-Crisis Fund
Technology Center etc
And in this context - given that Armenia does not have a common
customs border - the question as to how much Armenia's accession to
the common customs area will be effective has been discussed many
times. The general expert opinions center on the idea that Armenia can
form part of the common customs area. We have free trade, as it is,
without customs duties, so the elimination of customs procedures could
in that sense play a big role if there were a common customs border.
But because there isn't - as is the case with the Kaliningrad region -
there will be customs procedures.
The formation of the Eurasian Economic Union has been in progress
recently, as you are aware, so agreements concerning the common
economic area will be effective within the Union. And Armenia has
great interests here. A common economic area offers an opportunity
of purchasing natural gas at prices effective on the Customs Union's
domestic market. That's to say, Armenia is offered guarantees of
permanent and cheap supplies of gas resources. Export duties will not
be functional on the Eurasian common economic area; hence Armenia
will receive oil and oil supplies for free. The same goes for the
electric power and transport services market.
... Another factor was the EU pressures against Armenia with the
purpose of integration. Armenia was practically offered to become a
wagon for the EU on discriminatory conditions - as was the case with
Ukraine - with Brussels being given all the rights and later requiring
that [Armenia] fulfill its instruction, as opposed to the functions
which we have given to the Customs Union. So, we haven't pushed
Armenian to decide on acceding to the Customs Union; it was the EU,
which sought persistently to deprive Armenia of its sovereignty. To
maintain independence and the balanced relations with the Russian
Federation the Armenian president had to make a corresponding political
decision under such a pressure.
http://www.tert.am/en/news/2013/10/11/aravot2/