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States News Service
September 13, 2013 Friday
EU NOT ABANDONING ARMENIA
PRAGUE, Czech Republic
The following information was released by Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty:
By RFE/RL's Armenian Service
EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fuele says Brussels is still eager
to pursue deeper ties with Yerevan even if Armenia goes ahead with
plans to join a Russian-led Customs Union.
In an exclusive interview with RFE/RL's Armenian Service, Fuele
restated the EU position that Armenia could not sign association and
free trade agreements with the European Union while also belonging to
the Customs union.
He was speaking on September 13 in Yerevan after an informal meeting
of the foreign ministers of the EU's Eastern Partnership member
states.
"The Association Treaty is no longer on the table because of Armenia's
decision. So let's talk about their ambitions, and their vision for
another way to put the relationship higher, including a new legal
framework for our relationship," Fuele said.
Expectations had originally been high that Armenia would move ahead
with the EU trade agreements at the Eastern Partnership summit in
Vilnius in November.
But those hopes were dashed when Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian,
in a surprise move, announced last week that he wanted his country to
join the Russia-led Customs Union, which currently includes Belarus
and Kazakhstan.
Fuele confirmed that no deals will now be signed with Armenia in
Vilnius. But he said Brussels was not abandoning Armenia, including
civil society there.
"I talked today also with civil society groups, the National Platform,
and I made it very clear that, the fact that Armenia is turning from
the Association Agreement to the Customs Union does not mean that the
European agenda, European values, and European principles, will
disappear. It does not mean that, what the civil society has achieved
to promote the European agenda, and fundamental rights, that that will
disappear. We will be strongly represented here in Armenia and
supporting civil society," Fuele explained
Fuele also said Russia had nothing to fear from the EU's Eastern
Partnership program.
"I am saying very clearly that association agreements are good for our
partners, and are good for the neighbors of our partners. I'm saying
clearly that association agreements are substantive, and a very clear
contribution of the European Union member states to the creation, in
the future, of a free trade union from Lisbon to Vladivostok," Fuele
stated.
But Fuele also warned Russia against pressuring other Eastern
Partnership members into joining the Customs Union or the proposed
Eurasian Union rather than sign agreements with the EU.
"The partners, we assured that if they become the subject of undue
pressure because of their exercising the free choice, they can count
on the solidarity [of the EU]. Solidarity is not an empty word in the
European Union," Fuele said.
The six member states of the EU's Eastern Partnership are Armenia,
Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine.
September 13, 2013 Friday
EU NOT ABANDONING ARMENIA
PRAGUE, Czech Republic
The following information was released by Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty:
By RFE/RL's Armenian Service
EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fuele says Brussels is still eager
to pursue deeper ties with Yerevan even if Armenia goes ahead with
plans to join a Russian-led Customs Union.
In an exclusive interview with RFE/RL's Armenian Service, Fuele
restated the EU position that Armenia could not sign association and
free trade agreements with the European Union while also belonging to
the Customs union.
He was speaking on September 13 in Yerevan after an informal meeting
of the foreign ministers of the EU's Eastern Partnership member
states.
"The Association Treaty is no longer on the table because of Armenia's
decision. So let's talk about their ambitions, and their vision for
another way to put the relationship higher, including a new legal
framework for our relationship," Fuele said.
Expectations had originally been high that Armenia would move ahead
with the EU trade agreements at the Eastern Partnership summit in
Vilnius in November.
But those hopes were dashed when Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian,
in a surprise move, announced last week that he wanted his country to
join the Russia-led Customs Union, which currently includes Belarus
and Kazakhstan.
Fuele confirmed that no deals will now be signed with Armenia in
Vilnius. But he said Brussels was not abandoning Armenia, including
civil society there.
"I talked today also with civil society groups, the National Platform,
and I made it very clear that, the fact that Armenia is turning from
the Association Agreement to the Customs Union does not mean that the
European agenda, European values, and European principles, will
disappear. It does not mean that, what the civil society has achieved
to promote the European agenda, and fundamental rights, that that will
disappear. We will be strongly represented here in Armenia and
supporting civil society," Fuele explained
Fuele also said Russia had nothing to fear from the EU's Eastern
Partnership program.
"I am saying very clearly that association agreements are good for our
partners, and are good for the neighbors of our partners. I'm saying
clearly that association agreements are substantive, and a very clear
contribution of the European Union member states to the creation, in
the future, of a free trade union from Lisbon to Vladivostok," Fuele
stated.
But Fuele also warned Russia against pressuring other Eastern
Partnership members into joining the Customs Union or the proposed
Eurasian Union rather than sign agreements with the EU.
"The partners, we assured that if they become the subject of undue
pressure because of their exercising the free choice, they can count
on the solidarity [of the EU]. Solidarity is not an empty word in the
European Union," Fuele said.
The six member states of the EU's Eastern Partnership are Armenia,
Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine.