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EXPERT: RUSSIA, BELARUS AND KAZAKHSTAN HAVE DIFFERENT INTERESTS IN EXPANSION OF THE CUSTOMS UNION
by David Stepanyan
ARMINFO
Wednesday, October 23, 00:41
"Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan have different interests in expansion
of the Customs Union. I mean not only Armenia's accession to it,"
Harutyun Mesrobyan, economist, expert in management, told ArmInfo.
Earlier on 21 October, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko
told the heads of the CIS mass media outlets that there are many
uncertainties in the issue of Armenia's accession to the CU.
Lukashenko believes that Armenia cannot access the Union overnight.
The country is to pass all the necessary procedures to the CU, like
to the WTO, the president said.
"The Customs Union has not been finally formed de-facto. It is natural
that its members have certain disagreements over admission of new
members, and not only Armenia. One of such factors is that Russia and
Kazakhstan export energy resources, while Belarus doesn't," he said.
The expert is sure that such disagreements are natural not only for
the CU member-states but also for the EU. For instance, he said, UK
regularly shows strong resistance to some continental initiatives
of Brussels. There are disagreements also with Spain and Greece,
he recalled.
Mesrobyan thinks Armenia has a range of obstacles on its way to the CU
and the EU. However, the Karabakh conflict is not the problem number
one. Armenia lacks common border with the CU member- states. "In this
light, any comparison with the Kaliningdrad region is incorrect.
Unlike Armenia, Kaliningrad is linked to Russia with the Baltic Sea.
Meanwhile, our country is facing a transit problem. There are no
guarantees that the problem will be settled in the best way to meet
the country's interests. As regards Karabakh, at the first stage of
the issue's discussion, we may face disagreements with the Turkic-
language Kazakhstan," Mesrobyan said.
President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko does not rule out provision
of a special status to the so-called unrecognized or partially
recognized state formations within the Customs Union and the Common
Economic Space, which is under formation. Lukashenko said this when
replying to ArmInfo's question at the Oct 21 meeting with the heads
of the CIS media outlets. He stressed that the idea had not been
discussed and he was not ready to give any reply himself. "But this
topic may be considered", Lukashenko said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
by David Stepanyan
ARMINFO
Wednesday, October 23, 00:41
"Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan have different interests in expansion
of the Customs Union. I mean not only Armenia's accession to it,"
Harutyun Mesrobyan, economist, expert in management, told ArmInfo.
Earlier on 21 October, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko
told the heads of the CIS mass media outlets that there are many
uncertainties in the issue of Armenia's accession to the CU.
Lukashenko believes that Armenia cannot access the Union overnight.
The country is to pass all the necessary procedures to the CU, like
to the WTO, the president said.
"The Customs Union has not been finally formed de-facto. It is natural
that its members have certain disagreements over admission of new
members, and not only Armenia. One of such factors is that Russia and
Kazakhstan export energy resources, while Belarus doesn't," he said.
The expert is sure that such disagreements are natural not only for
the CU member-states but also for the EU. For instance, he said, UK
regularly shows strong resistance to some continental initiatives
of Brussels. There are disagreements also with Spain and Greece,
he recalled.
Mesrobyan thinks Armenia has a range of obstacles on its way to the CU
and the EU. However, the Karabakh conflict is not the problem number
one. Armenia lacks common border with the CU member- states. "In this
light, any comparison with the Kaliningdrad region is incorrect.
Unlike Armenia, Kaliningrad is linked to Russia with the Baltic Sea.
Meanwhile, our country is facing a transit problem. There are no
guarantees that the problem will be settled in the best way to meet
the country's interests. As regards Karabakh, at the first stage of
the issue's discussion, we may face disagreements with the Turkic-
language Kazakhstan," Mesrobyan said.
President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko does not rule out provision
of a special status to the so-called unrecognized or partially
recognized state formations within the Customs Union and the Common
Economic Space, which is under formation. Lukashenko said this when
replying to ArmInfo's question at the Oct 21 meeting with the heads
of the CIS media outlets. He stressed that the idea had not been
discussed and he was not ready to give any reply himself. "But this
topic may be considered", Lukashenko said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress