Tweet
ARMENIA READY TO JOIN RUSSIA-LED CUSTOMS UNION - PRESIDENT
Topic: Customs Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan
Serzh Sargsyan and Vladimir Putin
© RIA Novosti. Alexei Druzhinin
21:50 03/09/2013
http://en.ria.ru/politics/20130903/183147413/Armenia-Ready-to-Join-Russia-Led-Customs-Union--President.html
Tags: EU, Customs Union, Eurasian Economic Union, Serzh Sargsyan,
Vladimir Putin, Armenia, Russia
Related News
Ukraine to Vote on EU/Customs Union Affiliation - Yanukovych Ukrainians
Divided over Customs Union, EU Aspirations Tajikistan Signals Readiness
to Join Post-Soviet Customs Bloc Russia's WTO Accession 'No Threat' to
Customs Union: Official Customs Bloc First Success in CIS Integration
- EBRD
Multimedia
Customs Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan
NOVO-OGARYOVO, September 3 (RIA Novosti) - Armenia is ready to join
the Moscow-led Customs Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan and
later take part in establishing the Eurasian Economic Union, Armenia's
president said in a statement Tuesday.
"Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan voiced Armenia's decision to join
the Customs Union and take the relevant required practical steps,
and later participate in forming the Eurasian Economic Union," said
the statement, jointly issued by the administrations of Sargsyan and
Russian President Vladimir Putin after they met for talks.
Putin backed Armenia's decision and "expressed the Russian side's
readiness to contribute to the process in every possible way," the
statement said.
Moscow hopes all members of the Customs Union would back Yerevan's
decision to join it, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said
Tuesday.
Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan have agreed to establish the
proposed Eurasian Economic Union by 2015. The union is intended as
an alternative to the European Union that will be mostly comprised
of former Soviet republics.
At a time when Armenia is choosing between EU and Eurasian integration,
there appear to be certain contentions between Moscow and Yerevan,
including Russia's raising of natural gas rates and planned weapons
deliveries to Azerbaijan, with which Armenia is at loggerheads over
the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan have been strained for
more than two decades, since the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh,
a predominantly ethnic Armenian region, first erupted in 1988. The
region then claimed independence from Azerbaijan to join Armenia.
Over 30,000 people are estimated to have died on both sides between
1988 and 1994, when a ceasefire was agreed. Nagorno-Karabakh has
remained in Armenian control and tensions between Azerbaijan and
Armenia have persisted.
Putin and Sargsyan on Tuesday confirmed their adherence to the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resolution by political means, the two
leaders said in the statement.
The Russian and Armenian leaders also praised bilateral relations and
said they planned to take bilateral cooperation to a higher level,
also strengthening collaboration in the military and economic spheres.
Bilateral trade grew over 22 percent last year to more than $1.2
billion. Rail monopoly Russian Railways may invest about 15 billion
rubles ($450 million) in the development of Armenian railroads,
Putin told journalists.
Topic: Customs Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan
Serzh Sargsyan and Vladimir Putin
© RIA Novosti. Alexei Druzhinin
21:50 03/09/2013
http://en.ria.ru/politics/20130903/183147413/Armenia-Ready-to-Join-Russia-Led-Customs-Union--President.html
Tags: EU, Customs Union, Eurasian Economic Union, Serzh Sargsyan,
Vladimir Putin, Armenia, Russia
Related News
Ukraine to Vote on EU/Customs Union Affiliation - Yanukovych Ukrainians
Divided over Customs Union, EU Aspirations Tajikistan Signals Readiness
to Join Post-Soviet Customs Bloc Russia's WTO Accession 'No Threat' to
Customs Union: Official Customs Bloc First Success in CIS Integration
- EBRD
Multimedia
Customs Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan
NOVO-OGARYOVO, September 3 (RIA Novosti) - Armenia is ready to join
the Moscow-led Customs Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan and
later take part in establishing the Eurasian Economic Union, Armenia's
president said in a statement Tuesday.
"Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan voiced Armenia's decision to join
the Customs Union and take the relevant required practical steps,
and later participate in forming the Eurasian Economic Union," said
the statement, jointly issued by the administrations of Sargsyan and
Russian President Vladimir Putin after they met for talks.
Putin backed Armenia's decision and "expressed the Russian side's
readiness to contribute to the process in every possible way," the
statement said.
Moscow hopes all members of the Customs Union would back Yerevan's
decision to join it, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said
Tuesday.
Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan have agreed to establish the
proposed Eurasian Economic Union by 2015. The union is intended as
an alternative to the European Union that will be mostly comprised
of former Soviet republics.
At a time when Armenia is choosing between EU and Eurasian integration,
there appear to be certain contentions between Moscow and Yerevan,
including Russia's raising of natural gas rates and planned weapons
deliveries to Azerbaijan, with which Armenia is at loggerheads over
the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan have been strained for
more than two decades, since the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh,
a predominantly ethnic Armenian region, first erupted in 1988. The
region then claimed independence from Azerbaijan to join Armenia.
Over 30,000 people are estimated to have died on both sides between
1988 and 1994, when a ceasefire was agreed. Nagorno-Karabakh has
remained in Armenian control and tensions between Azerbaijan and
Armenia have persisted.
Putin and Sargsyan on Tuesday confirmed their adherence to the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resolution by political means, the two
leaders said in the statement.
The Russian and Armenian leaders also praised bilateral relations and
said they planned to take bilateral cooperation to a higher level,
also strengthening collaboration in the military and economic spheres.
Bilateral trade grew over 22 percent last year to more than $1.2
billion. Rail monopoly Russian Railways may invest about 15 billion
rubles ($450 million) in the development of Armenian railroads,
Putin told journalists.