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EP Committee Chair In Vilnius Calls Russia's Actions Against Armenia

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  • EP Committee Chair In Vilnius Calls Russia's Actions Against Armenia

    EP COMMITTEE CHAIR IN VILNIUS CALLS RUSSIA'S ACTIONS AGAINST ARMENIA "BLACKMAIL"

    Baltic News Service / - BNS
    September 5, 2013 Thursday 11:00 AM EET

    VILNIUS, Sep 05, BNS - Elmar Brok, chairman of the European
    Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, on Thursday called Russia's
    pressure on Armenia to join the Customs Union "blackmail."

    "What Russia has done in recent weeks in terms of trade measures was
    pure blackmail against Armenia, and that runs counter to international
    requirements," Brok told the Inter-Parliamentary Conference for the
    Common Foreign and Security Policy and the Common Security and Defense
    Policy at the Lithuanian Seimas on Thursday.

    Following a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier
    this week, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan announced the country's
    decision to join the Customs Union. It had been hoped that an
    association and free trade agreement between Armenia and the EU would
    be initialed at the upcoming Eastern Partnership Summit in Vilnius
    in late November.

    Talking about the Eastern Partnership countries, the EP committee
    chairman underlined that Eastern Partnership countries should make
    up their minds on their future themselves and not under external
    influence.

    "Every country should make individual decisions. These are not
    decisions that should be made in Moscow or Brussels. These are
    individual decisions that should be made by, let's say, Kiev. These
    are independent countries that need to make their own decisions as
    Lithuania did when fighting for its independence," Brok said.

    In his speech, the German politician also stressed the need to
    ensure that an association agreement with Ukraine is signed during
    the Eastern Partnership Summit in Vilnius. "I hope that the Eastern
    Partnership Summit will be historically significant for the whole of
    Europe. (...) The doors are open to Eastern Partnership countries.

    They just need to meet certain conditions," Brok said.

    Russia has taken measures in recent weeks against Eastern Partnership
    countries seeking closer ties with the European Union. Russian
    officials have warned Ukraine recently about potential import
    restrictions, if Ukraine signs the association agreement with the
    EU and does not join the Russian-led Customs Union instead. Moscow
    has also pledged cheaper gas to Ukraine, if the latter chooses the
    Customs Union over closer ties with the EU.

    Russian officials have also warned Moldova that its closer ties with
    the EU would hamper the resolution of the Transnistrian problem and
    also mentioned potential wine imports restrictions.


    From: Baghdasarian
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