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'SEMI-MEMBERSHIP' WOULD BE UNHAPPIEST OPTION NOW - ARTUR SAKUNTS
19:46 â~@¢ 15.10.13
In an interview with Tert.am Head of the Helsinki Citizens Assembly
Vanadzor office Artur Sakunts explained his decision to appeal Armenian
President Serzh Sargsyan's "autocratic" decision on Armenia's accession
to the Customs Union. He also spoke of a document Armenia may or may
not finally sign with the European Union (EU).
According to him, the issue must be dealt with under law. President
Serzh Sargsyan violated Armenia's Constitution and citizens' rights -
the right to have conscientious authorities that would be predictable
and accountable to the people.
Armenia has been working at an Armenia-EU Association Agreement for
three years and a half. So Mr Sakunts was informed of the processes
preceding the planned initialing of the Association Agreement and
could predict further developments. The Eastern Partnership Civil
Society Forum is working, and a national platform was formed involving
NGOs. So the logic of the Association Agreement is well known, and
the national platform was involved as a civil society institute.
As regards official statements that some people were well informed
of the negotiated text of the Association Agreement, Mr Sakunts said
that the document is available at the Eastern Partnership Civil Society
Forum - human rights, efficient government, energy, nature protection,
economy, visas and human contacts. Proposals for accomplishment of
the tasks in questions were regularly made at the forums.
No format of public involvement in the processes related to the Customs
Union has been proposed to civil society. So civil society, with its
proposals and concerns, got involved in the process of drafting an
Association Agreement. This is a concept typical of a democratic
state. Since this May, civil society has prepared a roadmap to
submit to the summit in Kishinev, Moldova. And Armenian authorities
assumed commitments to resolve certain problems before signing the
agreement. The agreement is actually a document, but civil society
had been involved in the drafting process until September 3. That is,
it can by no means be compared with the document on the Customs Union
in that the statement on Armenia's accession to the Customs Union
was not preceded by any discussions.
Mr Sakunts also spoke of the Armenian president's visit to Poland,
when he stated that 'either...or' was impossible and hinted that
Armenia would follow the way to the Customs Union.
According to him, it has nothing to do with the matter. Å tefan Fule
and Catherine Ashton had ruled out the possibility of dual membership.
The EU committed a mistake. The Eastern Partnership was a much more
transparent process. When Mr Sakunts raised the issue of Russia at
the civil society forum in Brussels, the EU played down Russia's role
in the drafting of the Association Agreement. And now they have been
convinced that they should have held bilateral discussions. On the
other hand, Russia, when it sees neighboring states seeking other
sets of values, based on rule of law, democratic principles, it
"feels bad." And Armenia is one of such nations.
Much has been said of Armenian authorities' intention to sign a
document before or after the Vilnius summit to make an impression
that something has been signed.
In this context, Mr Sakunts said that a nation that has a set
of values cannot simultaneously be part of two systems. In this
respect, Armenia's domestic policy cannot be the same as its
so-called complementary foreign policy. Domestic policy must meet the
requirements of the Constitution. At this moment, "semi-membership"
would be the unhappiest option. Mr Sakunts does not want the objections
to Armenia's accession to the Customs Union to turn into a nation-wide
struggle because panhuman values must underlie the struggle.
Armenian News - Tert.am
19:46 â~@¢ 15.10.13
In an interview with Tert.am Head of the Helsinki Citizens Assembly
Vanadzor office Artur Sakunts explained his decision to appeal Armenian
President Serzh Sargsyan's "autocratic" decision on Armenia's accession
to the Customs Union. He also spoke of a document Armenia may or may
not finally sign with the European Union (EU).
According to him, the issue must be dealt with under law. President
Serzh Sargsyan violated Armenia's Constitution and citizens' rights -
the right to have conscientious authorities that would be predictable
and accountable to the people.
Armenia has been working at an Armenia-EU Association Agreement for
three years and a half. So Mr Sakunts was informed of the processes
preceding the planned initialing of the Association Agreement and
could predict further developments. The Eastern Partnership Civil
Society Forum is working, and a national platform was formed involving
NGOs. So the logic of the Association Agreement is well known, and
the national platform was involved as a civil society institute.
As regards official statements that some people were well informed
of the negotiated text of the Association Agreement, Mr Sakunts said
that the document is available at the Eastern Partnership Civil Society
Forum - human rights, efficient government, energy, nature protection,
economy, visas and human contacts. Proposals for accomplishment of
the tasks in questions were regularly made at the forums.
No format of public involvement in the processes related to the Customs
Union has been proposed to civil society. So civil society, with its
proposals and concerns, got involved in the process of drafting an
Association Agreement. This is a concept typical of a democratic
state. Since this May, civil society has prepared a roadmap to
submit to the summit in Kishinev, Moldova. And Armenian authorities
assumed commitments to resolve certain problems before signing the
agreement. The agreement is actually a document, but civil society
had been involved in the drafting process until September 3. That is,
it can by no means be compared with the document on the Customs Union
in that the statement on Armenia's accession to the Customs Union
was not preceded by any discussions.
Mr Sakunts also spoke of the Armenian president's visit to Poland,
when he stated that 'either...or' was impossible and hinted that
Armenia would follow the way to the Customs Union.
According to him, it has nothing to do with the matter. Å tefan Fule
and Catherine Ashton had ruled out the possibility of dual membership.
The EU committed a mistake. The Eastern Partnership was a much more
transparent process. When Mr Sakunts raised the issue of Russia at
the civil society forum in Brussels, the EU played down Russia's role
in the drafting of the Association Agreement. And now they have been
convinced that they should have held bilateral discussions. On the
other hand, Russia, when it sees neighboring states seeking other
sets of values, based on rule of law, democratic principles, it
"feels bad." And Armenia is one of such nations.
Much has been said of Armenian authorities' intention to sign a
document before or after the Vilnius summit to make an impression
that something has been signed.
In this context, Mr Sakunts said that a nation that has a set
of values cannot simultaneously be part of two systems. In this
respect, Armenia's domestic policy cannot be the same as its
so-called complementary foreign policy. Domestic policy must meet the
requirements of the Constitution. At this moment, "semi-membership"
would be the unhappiest option. Mr Sakunts does not want the objections
to Armenia's accession to the Customs Union to turn into a nation-wide
struggle because panhuman values must underlie the struggle.
Armenian News - Tert.am