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SPEAKING THE SAME LANGUAGE: ANOTHER ARMENIAN-RUSSIAN PARLIAMENTARY MEETING HELD WITHOUT INTERPRETATION
News | 10.12.14 | 12:20
By Gayane Lazarian
ArmeniaNow reporter
Another meeting of the Armenian-Russian Friendship Parliamentary Club
took place in Yerevan. This time it was called "Armenian Membership
in Eurasian Economic Union (EEU): Reaction to Global Challenges".
Like the previous one it was held exclusively in Russian which
again gave rise to the language debate. Armenia's law requires that
translation be provided for events taking place in a foreign language
and hosted in government offices.
Last summer at a parliamentary meeting with a group of Armenian
lawmakers in Yerevan Dmitry Kiselev, a host of a Sunday prime time
TV news show on the Russian State Television prime, who is described
by many as the Kremlin's main mouthpiece, complained about the fact
that the Russian language and culture were "not duly" respected in
Armenia and essentially called for changing the language law to give
the Russian language the status of the state language. Russia's former
ambassador to Armenia Vyacheslav Kovalenko, meanwhile, demanded that
the Russian language in Armenia be given the status of the second
state language.
Although during the meeting head of the Armenia-Russian Friendship
Parliamentary Club Argine Tumanyan said that the state language in
Armenia is Armenian, however because of time constraints speeches
will be made in Russian only.
Speaking in Russian, Armenian MPs once again confirmed that Armenia's
membership in the EEU stems from the country's interests. Addressing
the vote on the ratification of the EEU membership treaty at the
National Assembly they said that the vote outcome (103 "for", 7
"against" and 1 abstention) reflect the public opinion.
Senior Research Fellow at the Center for the Caucasus and Regional
security, Caucasus Cooperation Company Director Nikolay Silayev
addressed the speculation that by EEU membership Armenia loses
its sovereignty, saying, "We have studied integration processes in
different countries and have come to the conclusion that a country
loses its sovereignty in any integration. As compared to other
integration unions the EEU has one advantage - the launch is ahead
of it, it is just being formed."
According to Silayev, any integration implies sovereignty loss,
and Russia is no exception.
"It is difficult to say now what the restriction will be, but there
are many versions of integration in the world, and we will choose
one of them," he said.
Advisor to the Speaker of the State Duma Mikhael Krotov said that
Armenian sovereignty would have been limited by the EU Association
Agreement, not by EEU membership. According to him, the EEU is the
alternative to the European Union, if Europe does not unite its money
and technology with Kazakhstan, Russia, it will become uncompetitive.
"We want to integrate with Europe but as an equal with an equal. We
want Armenia to have that opportunity as well together with Russia and
Kazakhstan. Unfortunately, it cannot do so on its own," Krotov said.
Deputy head of the Committee for CIS, Eurasian Integration and
Compatriots Affairs of the Russian State Duma Oleg Lebedyev told
reporters that it is not yet decided whether there will be a customs
check point between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.
"After the EEU treaty ratification, in 2015 all foreign ministers
will gather and discuss that question," he said.
Besides Russia and Kazakhstan the EEU also includes Belarus.
Kyrgyzstan also aspires to become a member of the emerging economic
grouping.
http://armenianow.com/news/59206/armenia_eurasian_union_membership_treaty_russia_cl ub
News | 10.12.14 | 12:20
By Gayane Lazarian
ArmeniaNow reporter
Another meeting of the Armenian-Russian Friendship Parliamentary Club
took place in Yerevan. This time it was called "Armenian Membership
in Eurasian Economic Union (EEU): Reaction to Global Challenges".
Like the previous one it was held exclusively in Russian which
again gave rise to the language debate. Armenia's law requires that
translation be provided for events taking place in a foreign language
and hosted in government offices.
Last summer at a parliamentary meeting with a group of Armenian
lawmakers in Yerevan Dmitry Kiselev, a host of a Sunday prime time
TV news show on the Russian State Television prime, who is described
by many as the Kremlin's main mouthpiece, complained about the fact
that the Russian language and culture were "not duly" respected in
Armenia and essentially called for changing the language law to give
the Russian language the status of the state language. Russia's former
ambassador to Armenia Vyacheslav Kovalenko, meanwhile, demanded that
the Russian language in Armenia be given the status of the second
state language.
Although during the meeting head of the Armenia-Russian Friendship
Parliamentary Club Argine Tumanyan said that the state language in
Armenia is Armenian, however because of time constraints speeches
will be made in Russian only.
Speaking in Russian, Armenian MPs once again confirmed that Armenia's
membership in the EEU stems from the country's interests. Addressing
the vote on the ratification of the EEU membership treaty at the
National Assembly they said that the vote outcome (103 "for", 7
"against" and 1 abstention) reflect the public opinion.
Senior Research Fellow at the Center for the Caucasus and Regional
security, Caucasus Cooperation Company Director Nikolay Silayev
addressed the speculation that by EEU membership Armenia loses
its sovereignty, saying, "We have studied integration processes in
different countries and have come to the conclusion that a country
loses its sovereignty in any integration. As compared to other
integration unions the EEU has one advantage - the launch is ahead
of it, it is just being formed."
According to Silayev, any integration implies sovereignty loss,
and Russia is no exception.
"It is difficult to say now what the restriction will be, but there
are many versions of integration in the world, and we will choose
one of them," he said.
Advisor to the Speaker of the State Duma Mikhael Krotov said that
Armenian sovereignty would have been limited by the EU Association
Agreement, not by EEU membership. According to him, the EEU is the
alternative to the European Union, if Europe does not unite its money
and technology with Kazakhstan, Russia, it will become uncompetitive.
"We want to integrate with Europe but as an equal with an equal. We
want Armenia to have that opportunity as well together with Russia and
Kazakhstan. Unfortunately, it cannot do so on its own," Krotov said.
Deputy head of the Committee for CIS, Eurasian Integration and
Compatriots Affairs of the Russian State Duma Oleg Lebedyev told
reporters that it is not yet decided whether there will be a customs
check point between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.
"After the EEU treaty ratification, in 2015 all foreign ministers
will gather and discuss that question," he said.
Besides Russia and Kazakhstan the EEU also includes Belarus.
Kyrgyzstan also aspires to become a member of the emerging economic
grouping.
http://armenianow.com/news/59206/armenia_eurasian_union_membership_treaty_russia_cl ub