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CUSTOMS UNION AND THE FUTURE: FORMER FM SAYS ARMENIA HAS "CONCEDED OUR SOVEREIGNTY"
Politics | 14.02.14 | 16:25
Photolure
By Gayane Lazarian
ArmeniaNow reporter
The haste in completing the process of joining the Customs Union
(CU) is accelerating in Armenia stirring more speculations on the
government actions and motives behind them.
During this week's cabinet meeting Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan
stated that the roadmap for accessing the CU will be ready in May
and instructed the task groups to keep strictly to the timeline set
in the action plan for joining the Russia-led economic union.
Parallel with the government actions also public propaganda is
being carried out: during the presentation of his book "Armenia in
the Customs Union: The Beginning of Irreversible Changes in the
Transcaucasia", ruling Republican faction MP Artashes Geghamyan,
leader of National Unity political party, welcomed President Serzh
Sargsyan's September 3 decision to join the CU.
"The decision was historic not only in terms of prospects for
our country, but also because, finally, the European Union member
countries' approach to us has changed," said Geghamyan.
Earlier, Russian Ambassador to Armenia Ivan Volinkin commented saying
that Armenia was making 7-mile steps towards the CU.
During a discussion on "Armenia Today and Tomorrow", with three
former foreign ministers Vahan Papazyan, Alexander Arzumanyan, and
Vartan Oskanian as invited speakers, the main emphasis was Armenia's
decision to join the CU.
Arzumanyan stressed that the entire history of Armenia's independent
statehood comes down to an endless attempt to escape from Russia and
during all the 22 years the Armenian authorities have tried to become
less dependent on Russian authority, which was in the basis of the
1988 movement.
"Nothing has changed in that respect. At that time we escaped from a
totalitarian regime, declared an independent state, were able to make
unprecedented military achievements... The dilemma was in the very
question in the referendum 'do we want Armenia to be an independent
democratic state outside the USSR?' So far we have failed to answer
that question, failed to build a democratic country under the rule
of law with legitimate leadership, which would be able to determine
our way through a public discourse... Today we have conceded our
sovereignty to Russia," he says.
Oskanian believes that Armenia could have made a completely different
decision on September 3, and still keep excellent relations with
Russia, although those relations had to be excellent before September
3 to start with.
He says Armenia's foreign policy is the continuation of the domestic
one. At the same time, he says, foreign policy determines a lot within
the country in terms of the country development, increase of trade
opportunities, attracting investments, etc.
"One complements the other, it's a mutual process. However, the state
of things inside our country has dictated a lot in terms of external
developments. We feel weak these days - the economy is in poor state
with high poverty and migration rates, we also have big demographic
issues, legality issues. All these together substantially decrease
our opportunities for maneuvering when it comes to foreign political
matters. The biggest obstacle in our political system is the lack of
counterweights. We are a single-party system today. Let us officially
agree on that, because the rest is formality," says Oskanian.
Papazyan strongly believes that the current events are not irreversible
and that there is always a chance to rectify things.
"Much is talked about the fact that this is supposed to be first
of all a platform for economic cooperation. I doubt it greatly. My
understanding is that above all the CU will be a platform for political
unity, if it establishes itself as such..." he says.
Oskanian says the situation in the entire region is highly complicated,
which will affect Armenia, especially in terms of her relations
with Georgia.
"Georgia is moving towards Europe, we - towards Russia, and Azerbaijan
is somewhere in the middle. There was one thing in common for the three
of these countries - European integration, which is no longer the case,
and today the divisive lines in the Caucasus have deepened so much,
that, I have no doubts its negative consequences will inevitably come
forth in the future," he says.
http://armenianow.com/news/politics/52028/customs_union_vartan_oskanian_artashes_geghamyan_a lexander_arzumanyan
Politics | 14.02.14 | 16:25
Photolure
By Gayane Lazarian
ArmeniaNow reporter
The haste in completing the process of joining the Customs Union
(CU) is accelerating in Armenia stirring more speculations on the
government actions and motives behind them.
During this week's cabinet meeting Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan
stated that the roadmap for accessing the CU will be ready in May
and instructed the task groups to keep strictly to the timeline set
in the action plan for joining the Russia-led economic union.
Parallel with the government actions also public propaganda is
being carried out: during the presentation of his book "Armenia in
the Customs Union: The Beginning of Irreversible Changes in the
Transcaucasia", ruling Republican faction MP Artashes Geghamyan,
leader of National Unity political party, welcomed President Serzh
Sargsyan's September 3 decision to join the CU.
"The decision was historic not only in terms of prospects for
our country, but also because, finally, the European Union member
countries' approach to us has changed," said Geghamyan.
Earlier, Russian Ambassador to Armenia Ivan Volinkin commented saying
that Armenia was making 7-mile steps towards the CU.
During a discussion on "Armenia Today and Tomorrow", with three
former foreign ministers Vahan Papazyan, Alexander Arzumanyan, and
Vartan Oskanian as invited speakers, the main emphasis was Armenia's
decision to join the CU.
Arzumanyan stressed that the entire history of Armenia's independent
statehood comes down to an endless attempt to escape from Russia and
during all the 22 years the Armenian authorities have tried to become
less dependent on Russian authority, which was in the basis of the
1988 movement.
"Nothing has changed in that respect. At that time we escaped from a
totalitarian regime, declared an independent state, were able to make
unprecedented military achievements... The dilemma was in the very
question in the referendum 'do we want Armenia to be an independent
democratic state outside the USSR?' So far we have failed to answer
that question, failed to build a democratic country under the rule
of law with legitimate leadership, which would be able to determine
our way through a public discourse... Today we have conceded our
sovereignty to Russia," he says.
Oskanian believes that Armenia could have made a completely different
decision on September 3, and still keep excellent relations with
Russia, although those relations had to be excellent before September
3 to start with.
He says Armenia's foreign policy is the continuation of the domestic
one. At the same time, he says, foreign policy determines a lot within
the country in terms of the country development, increase of trade
opportunities, attracting investments, etc.
"One complements the other, it's a mutual process. However, the state
of things inside our country has dictated a lot in terms of external
developments. We feel weak these days - the economy is in poor state
with high poverty and migration rates, we also have big demographic
issues, legality issues. All these together substantially decrease
our opportunities for maneuvering when it comes to foreign political
matters. The biggest obstacle in our political system is the lack of
counterweights. We are a single-party system today. Let us officially
agree on that, because the rest is formality," says Oskanian.
Papazyan strongly believes that the current events are not irreversible
and that there is always a chance to rectify things.
"Much is talked about the fact that this is supposed to be first
of all a platform for economic cooperation. I doubt it greatly. My
understanding is that above all the CU will be a platform for political
unity, if it establishes itself as such..." he says.
Oskanian says the situation in the entire region is highly complicated,
which will affect Armenia, especially in terms of her relations
with Georgia.
"Georgia is moving towards Europe, we - towards Russia, and Azerbaijan
is somewhere in the middle. There was one thing in common for the three
of these countries - European integration, which is no longer the case,
and today the divisive lines in the Caucasus have deepened so much,
that, I have no doubts its negative consequences will inevitably come
forth in the future," he says.
http://armenianow.com/news/politics/52028/customs_union_vartan_oskanian_artashes_geghamyan_a lexander_arzumanyan