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WELCOME TO EURASIA: POST-SOVIET ALLIES ENDORSE ARMENIA'S INTEGRATION BID
http://www.armenianow.com/news/49503/armenia_eurasian_union_minsk_sargsyan_lukashenko_p utin_nazarbayev
NEWS | 25.10.13 | 09:30
Photo: www.president.am
By NAIRA HAYRUMYAN
ArmeniaNow correspondent
After a meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council in Minsk
on Thursday the leaders of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan signed
the application for the participation of Armenia in the Eurasian
integration process. They signed a draft decision "On the Republic of
Armenia's accession to the Customs Union and the Common Economic Space
of Belarus, Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation", the Statement
on the participation of the Republic of Armenia in the Eurasian
integration process and the Memorandum on deepening cooperation
between the Republic of Armenia and the Eurasian Economic Commission.
"We have backed the intention of Armenia and Kyrgyzstan to join
our integration project. We have agreed to establish a working group
tasked with preparing a corresponding road map within a short period,"
said Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The participants of the meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic
Council reaffirmed their intention to sign an agreement on the
establishment of the Eurasian Economic Union, which is to start its
work on January 1, 2015, said Kazakh Presiden Nursultan Nazarbayev.
"I wouldn't say there is a breakthrough here, but it's a big step that
we have made in the course of our dialogue today. The most important
thing is that we have made progress on all key issues of forming our
union in the preparation of the agreement," said Belarus's Lukashenko.
At the same time, Lukashenko admitted that by joining the Eurasian
Union countries lose some of their sovereignty. But he said one should
not be afraid of transferring additional powers to the supranational
level. "Sovereignty is not an icon. Everything has its price, and if we
want to live better, we have to sacrifice something," said Lukashenko.
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan did not participate in the final
conference and did not express his opinion as to what part of Armenia's
sovereignty will go to the supranational level. The president of
Armenia, even after his declaration of intent on September 3 to join
the Customs Union, did not discuss the appropriateness of this decision
with the Armenian Parliament.
By the way, another sensational statement was made at the meeting.
Kazakh President Nazarbayev proposed to accept Turkey as a member
of the Customs Union, explaining it by the fact that he is often
approached with the question of "whether we are creating a USSR or
something under Russia" "Maybe we can accept Turkey, it is a big
country, and the speculation will be over," Nazarbayev suggested to
his Russian and Belarus counterparts.
http://www.armenianow.com/news/49503/armenia_eurasian_union_minsk_sargsyan_lukashenko_p utin_nazarbayev
NEWS | 25.10.13 | 09:30
Photo: www.president.am
By NAIRA HAYRUMYAN
ArmeniaNow correspondent
After a meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council in Minsk
on Thursday the leaders of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan signed
the application for the participation of Armenia in the Eurasian
integration process. They signed a draft decision "On the Republic of
Armenia's accession to the Customs Union and the Common Economic Space
of Belarus, Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation", the Statement
on the participation of the Republic of Armenia in the Eurasian
integration process and the Memorandum on deepening cooperation
between the Republic of Armenia and the Eurasian Economic Commission.
"We have backed the intention of Armenia and Kyrgyzstan to join
our integration project. We have agreed to establish a working group
tasked with preparing a corresponding road map within a short period,"
said Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The participants of the meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic
Council reaffirmed their intention to sign an agreement on the
establishment of the Eurasian Economic Union, which is to start its
work on January 1, 2015, said Kazakh Presiden Nursultan Nazarbayev.
"I wouldn't say there is a breakthrough here, but it's a big step that
we have made in the course of our dialogue today. The most important
thing is that we have made progress on all key issues of forming our
union in the preparation of the agreement," said Belarus's Lukashenko.
At the same time, Lukashenko admitted that by joining the Eurasian
Union countries lose some of their sovereignty. But he said one should
not be afraid of transferring additional powers to the supranational
level. "Sovereignty is not an icon. Everything has its price, and if we
want to live better, we have to sacrifice something," said Lukashenko.
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan did not participate in the final
conference and did not express his opinion as to what part of Armenia's
sovereignty will go to the supranational level. The president of
Armenia, even after his declaration of intent on September 3 to join
the Customs Union, did not discuss the appropriateness of this decision
with the Armenian Parliament.
By the way, another sensational statement was made at the meeting.
Kazakh President Nazarbayev proposed to accept Turkey as a member
of the Customs Union, explaining it by the fact that he is often
approached with the question of "whether we are creating a USSR or
something under Russia" "Maybe we can accept Turkey, it is a big
country, and the speculation will be over," Nazarbayev suggested to
his Russian and Belarus counterparts.