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New Europe
Sept 14 2013
EU concerned by Armenian plans to join Russia's Customs Union
The unpredictable decision by Armenia's President Serzh Sargsyan that
Yerevan will join a customs union with Russia has raised doubts over
Armenia's EU integration path and caused concern in Brussels about
Europe's relations with its eastern neighbours.
Armenia was poised to sign a key political and free-trade deal with
the EU at a summit in November but both Russia and the EU have said
countries can't have both.
Armenia's decision prompted a planned debate and vote at the European
Parliament in Strasbourg this week on Russian pressure on ex-Soviet
countries to drop EU integration plans. MEPs were expected to
criticise growing Russian pressure on the EU's eastern neighbours,
such as Armenia and Ukraine, not to seek to deepen economic and
political ties with the EU at this November's Eastern Partnership
summit in Vilnius.
`I think it was bad news to see that Armenia was falling into this and
we have a growing concern about this,' a high-ranking official told
New Europe in Strasbourg on 10 September. `I think that we should
rebuild a new strategy in order to regain the Eastern Partnership
influence of the European Union and not to lose more possible and
potential partners for the future,' the official added, calling for
defending the European Union as a protagonist in the Eastern
Partnership.
Experts note that Armenia took the easy way out by choosing to join
the Customs Union and point out that Yerevan's political decision
shows this country is interested in preserving status quo in
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with Azerbaijan.
On the other hand, Azerbaijan, which has rich energy resources, plans
to help the European Union lessen its reliance on Russian gas and is
seeking to deepen its ties with Brussels, increasingly becoming a
reliable and predictable partner for the European Union.
Brussels indicated its reluctance to accept Armenia's offer to
renegotiate a planned Association Agreement with the EU. `In light of
Armenia's declared choice to join the Customs Union it is difficult to
imagine the initialling at Vilnius summit in November of the
Association Agreement with Armenia as it had been negotiated,' EU
Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Füle said after talks with visiting
Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian. `Based on the information we
presently have, the compatibility of obligations to the Customs Union
with those under an Association Agreement/DCFTA (Deep and
Comprehensive Free Trade Area) with the EU looks problematic,' Füle
added in a statement.
Europe is also concerned by Georgia's statement that Tbilisi may, in
due course, also join the Russian Customs Union.
Speaking on national TV on 4 September, Georgia's Prime Minister
Bidzina Ivanishvili said: he is keeping a close eye on the Eurasian
Union `and we are studying it. At this stage we have no position at
all. If in perspective we see that it is in our country's strategic
interest, then, why not? But at this stage we have no position at
all'.
http://www.neurope.eu/article/eu-concerned-armenian-plans-join-russia%E2%80%99s-customs-union-0
Sept 14 2013
EU concerned by Armenian plans to join Russia's Customs Union
The unpredictable decision by Armenia's President Serzh Sargsyan that
Yerevan will join a customs union with Russia has raised doubts over
Armenia's EU integration path and caused concern in Brussels about
Europe's relations with its eastern neighbours.
Armenia was poised to sign a key political and free-trade deal with
the EU at a summit in November but both Russia and the EU have said
countries can't have both.
Armenia's decision prompted a planned debate and vote at the European
Parliament in Strasbourg this week on Russian pressure on ex-Soviet
countries to drop EU integration plans. MEPs were expected to
criticise growing Russian pressure on the EU's eastern neighbours,
such as Armenia and Ukraine, not to seek to deepen economic and
political ties with the EU at this November's Eastern Partnership
summit in Vilnius.
`I think it was bad news to see that Armenia was falling into this and
we have a growing concern about this,' a high-ranking official told
New Europe in Strasbourg on 10 September. `I think that we should
rebuild a new strategy in order to regain the Eastern Partnership
influence of the European Union and not to lose more possible and
potential partners for the future,' the official added, calling for
defending the European Union as a protagonist in the Eastern
Partnership.
Experts note that Armenia took the easy way out by choosing to join
the Customs Union and point out that Yerevan's political decision
shows this country is interested in preserving status quo in
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with Azerbaijan.
On the other hand, Azerbaijan, which has rich energy resources, plans
to help the European Union lessen its reliance on Russian gas and is
seeking to deepen its ties with Brussels, increasingly becoming a
reliable and predictable partner for the European Union.
Brussels indicated its reluctance to accept Armenia's offer to
renegotiate a planned Association Agreement with the EU. `In light of
Armenia's declared choice to join the Customs Union it is difficult to
imagine the initialling at Vilnius summit in November of the
Association Agreement with Armenia as it had been negotiated,' EU
Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Füle said after talks with visiting
Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian. `Based on the information we
presently have, the compatibility of obligations to the Customs Union
with those under an Association Agreement/DCFTA (Deep and
Comprehensive Free Trade Area) with the EU looks problematic,' Füle
added in a statement.
Europe is also concerned by Georgia's statement that Tbilisi may, in
due course, also join the Russian Customs Union.
Speaking on national TV on 4 September, Georgia's Prime Minister
Bidzina Ivanishvili said: he is keeping a close eye on the Eurasian
Union `and we are studying it. At this stage we have no position at
all. If in perspective we see that it is in our country's strategic
interest, then, why not? But at this stage we have no position at
all'.
http://www.neurope.eu/article/eu-concerned-armenian-plans-join-russia%E2%80%99s-customs-union-0