Tweet
ARMENIA RIFT OVER TRADE DEAL FUELS EU-RUSSIA TENSION
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-23975951
5 September 2013 Last updated at 17:19
Armenia's decision to join a Russian-led customs union has thrown EU
plans to forge closer ties with the Caucasus republic into disarray.
The EU plans to conclude association agreements with several ex-Soviet
states in November, but Armenia is unlikely to be among them.
Such agreements are seen as key steps on the path to eventual EU
membership.
Armenia's move has fuelled Western anxiety that Russia wants to exert
control over ex-Soviet states.
The European Commission is asking Armenia to clarify its position.
Armenia had been preparing to initial the agreement with the EU in
November, after more than two years of negotiations.
The Commission says the agreement is "not a zero-sum game" - that is,
not simply a choice between Russia or the EU.
A statement from EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fuele said "we
take note of Armenia's apparent wish to join the customs union.
"We look forward to understanding better from Armenia what their
intentions are and how they wish to ensure compatibility between these
and the commitments undertaken through the Association Agreement and
DCFTA [Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area]."
Energy leverage
However, a foreign policy expert at the European Parliament,
Conservative MEP Charles Tannock, told the BBC that Armenia could
not operate two different sets of tariff rules.
"If you join one customs union you can't have a free trade agreement
with another jurisdiction," he said.
The EU association agreements go beyond measures to ease trade -
they also entail commitments to democratic standards, which are not
part of Russia's customs union.
For years the EU has been pursuing a new "Eastern Partnership" with
Moscow's former Soviet allies.
Moldova and Ukraine are on course to sign association agreements
with the EU in November. But both have come under Russian pressure
to remain in Moscow's sphere of influence - and their heavy reliance
on Russian gas puts them in a vulnerable position.
On Tuesday a senior Russian envoy, Dmitry Rogozin, told Moldovans that
"energy supplies are important in the run-up to winter - I hope you
won't freeze".
Speaking later, Moldova's President Nicolae Timofti said his country
would pursue integration with the EU and "cannot live under pressure
or threats".
Russian-speaking separatists - armed by Russia - still control
Trans-Dniester, a large strip of land that broke away from Moldova.
Russia and Armenia - former Soviet partners with shared Christian
traditions - have long had close ties.
Military tensions
Armenia is still locked in a bitter territorial dispute with
Muslim-majority Azerbaijan - and some observers have drawn a direct
link between that dispute, over Nagorno-Karabakh, and the customs
union plan.
Mr Tannock said concern about Russian arms sales to Azerbaijan appeared
to have influenced Armenian President Serge Sarkisian more than any
other issue.
Oil-rich Azerbaijan is receiving military equipment from Russia
worth up to $1bn (£843m), including tanks and artillery, in a drive
to modernise its armed forces, Russian media report.
Since the 1990s Nagorno-Karabakh war Armenia has had close military
co-operation with Russia, and without that "Armenia would be totally
vulnerable to attack by Azerbaijan", Mr Tannock told the BBC.
He said Russia "seems to be winning battles now" in its traditional
sphere of influence and "has caught the EU a bit on the hop", he said.
Mr Sarkisian held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in
Moscow on Tuesday, and drew a direct link between trade ties and the
security partnership between former Soviet states.
Mr Sarkisian spoke of Armenia's "desire to join the customs union and
get involved in the process of creating the Eurasian Economic Union".
Mr Putin sees a future Eurasian union as an economic bloc pulling
together former Soviet states. Currently Russia's customs union only
embraces Belarus and Kazakhstan.
"I have stated on many occasions that, since we share a system
of military security, it is impossible and inefficient to isolate
ourselves from the corresponding geo-economical space," Mr Sarkisian
said.
"This is a rational decision; it is a decision based on Armenia's
national interests. This decision is not a rejection of our dialogue
with European institutions."
In a tweet on Tuesday Sweden's Foreign Minister Carl Bildt said
"seems as if Armenia will break talks on free trade agreement with
EU and integrate with Russia instead. U-turn."
From: Baghdasarian
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-23975951
5 September 2013 Last updated at 17:19
Armenia's decision to join a Russian-led customs union has thrown EU
plans to forge closer ties with the Caucasus republic into disarray.
The EU plans to conclude association agreements with several ex-Soviet
states in November, but Armenia is unlikely to be among them.
Such agreements are seen as key steps on the path to eventual EU
membership.
Armenia's move has fuelled Western anxiety that Russia wants to exert
control over ex-Soviet states.
The European Commission is asking Armenia to clarify its position.
Armenia had been preparing to initial the agreement with the EU in
November, after more than two years of negotiations.
The Commission says the agreement is "not a zero-sum game" - that is,
not simply a choice between Russia or the EU.
A statement from EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fuele said "we
take note of Armenia's apparent wish to join the customs union.
"We look forward to understanding better from Armenia what their
intentions are and how they wish to ensure compatibility between these
and the commitments undertaken through the Association Agreement and
DCFTA [Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area]."
Energy leverage
However, a foreign policy expert at the European Parliament,
Conservative MEP Charles Tannock, told the BBC that Armenia could
not operate two different sets of tariff rules.
"If you join one customs union you can't have a free trade agreement
with another jurisdiction," he said.
The EU association agreements go beyond measures to ease trade -
they also entail commitments to democratic standards, which are not
part of Russia's customs union.
For years the EU has been pursuing a new "Eastern Partnership" with
Moscow's former Soviet allies.
Moldova and Ukraine are on course to sign association agreements
with the EU in November. But both have come under Russian pressure
to remain in Moscow's sphere of influence - and their heavy reliance
on Russian gas puts them in a vulnerable position.
On Tuesday a senior Russian envoy, Dmitry Rogozin, told Moldovans that
"energy supplies are important in the run-up to winter - I hope you
won't freeze".
Speaking later, Moldova's President Nicolae Timofti said his country
would pursue integration with the EU and "cannot live under pressure
or threats".
Russian-speaking separatists - armed by Russia - still control
Trans-Dniester, a large strip of land that broke away from Moldova.
Russia and Armenia - former Soviet partners with shared Christian
traditions - have long had close ties.
Military tensions
Armenia is still locked in a bitter territorial dispute with
Muslim-majority Azerbaijan - and some observers have drawn a direct
link between that dispute, over Nagorno-Karabakh, and the customs
union plan.
Mr Tannock said concern about Russian arms sales to Azerbaijan appeared
to have influenced Armenian President Serge Sarkisian more than any
other issue.
Oil-rich Azerbaijan is receiving military equipment from Russia
worth up to $1bn (£843m), including tanks and artillery, in a drive
to modernise its armed forces, Russian media report.
Since the 1990s Nagorno-Karabakh war Armenia has had close military
co-operation with Russia, and without that "Armenia would be totally
vulnerable to attack by Azerbaijan", Mr Tannock told the BBC.
He said Russia "seems to be winning battles now" in its traditional
sphere of influence and "has caught the EU a bit on the hop", he said.
Mr Sarkisian held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in
Moscow on Tuesday, and drew a direct link between trade ties and the
security partnership between former Soviet states.
Mr Sarkisian spoke of Armenia's "desire to join the customs union and
get involved in the process of creating the Eurasian Economic Union".
Mr Putin sees a future Eurasian union as an economic bloc pulling
together former Soviet states. Currently Russia's customs union only
embraces Belarus and Kazakhstan.
"I have stated on many occasions that, since we share a system
of military security, it is impossible and inefficient to isolate
ourselves from the corresponding geo-economical space," Mr Sarkisian
said.
"This is a rational decision; it is a decision based on Armenia's
national interests. This decision is not a rejection of our dialogue
with European institutions."
In a tweet on Tuesday Sweden's Foreign Minister Carl Bildt said
"seems as if Armenia will break talks on free trade agreement with
EU and integrate with Russia instead. U-turn."
From: Baghdasarian