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Armenia's Issue In Customs Union Suspended By Turkey
Hakob Badalyan, Political Commentator
Comments - 21 July 2014, 17:36
The Russian minister of economy Alexey Ulyukayev announced after the
meeting of G20 ministers of economy that Turkey is interested in the
establishment of a free economic zone. He made this statement after
the meeting with the Turkish minister of economy.
This prospect has been discussed for a long time. First Putin's
spokesman Peskov spoke about it in 2012 when Putin visited Turkey and
met with the prime minister of that country Erdogan. After the visit
Peskov announced that if Turkey expresses a wish to join the Customs
Union, Russia will welcome it.
One year later, in November 2013, Erdogan visited Russia and after his
meeting with Putin in Saint Petersburg he announced that Turkey is
interested in the prospect of free trade with the Eurasian Union.
Earlier, in October 2013, during the Customs Union summit in Minsk,
the president of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev announced about
Turkey's application. It was the summit during which Armenia was faced
with the stipulation relating to Artsakh.
The issue of membership of Armenia will be protracted for at least a
year. It is already stated that the issue of membership will be
resolved by the end of October. However, this statement is not a
guarantee that it will come true. Not because Hovik Abrahamyan was
saying it. A few days ago the foreign minister of Kazakhstan had
stated the same thing. The problem is that issue of membership of
Armenia has become a secondary matter.
The membership of Armenia is pending on more important issues facing
Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, as well as Turkey and Azerbaijan. The
prospects of relations with Turkey are one of them as they interest
Russia and Kazakhstan in economic and political terms. Apparently,
however, those are mutually excluding interests. In other words,
Agreement with Ankara is important to Moscow to prevent an
Astana-Ankara partnership axist.
The issue of the Armenian-Turkish border becomes interesting. How can
the Turkey-Customs Union free trade come into being if the border with
Armenia is closed? It will turn out that Turkey is involved in free
trade with an organization the border of which is closed. After all,
in case of membership to the Customs Union the Armenian-Turkish border
will be a Turkish-Customs Union Border.
Consequently, it turns out that while the Armenian-Turkish border is
closed, the CU-Turkey cooperation cannot reach a free trade. On the
other hand, can the free trade process lead to the opening of the
Armenian-Turkish border. The situation is getting more complicated
because there is an issue of Artsakh which Baku always puts forth to
Ankara whenever Turkey is trying to pursue any significant agreement
with any center. At the same time, Ankara is readily using the factor
of Baku's dissatisfaction because the Armenian-Turkish border is
important to Turkey in a package with Artsakh.
In this complicated situation the continuation of protraction of
Armenia's membership will be an easier solution of the problem to
Russia, Kazakhstan and Turkey for the sake of continuity of the
outlining interest with Turkey. This process has better prospects and
rich, independent from the purpose of establishment of a free trade
regime, at least as a merely political process, a trend that will be
proposed in the geopolitical competition. Iran also responds to this
prospect, intensifying its economic and political statements relating
to Armenia. The regional Russian-Turkish Kazakh trend threatens to
leave Iran in the margin. Therefore, Tehran offers Yerevan to come up
with alternative processes.
However, for the time being, Yerevan is not bold enough to move on
from extreme self-defense to sovereign initiative. For the time being,
all Armenia still can refuse to Russia what will be the end of the
government and state. However, Yerevan does not have the courage or
ability in addressing the issues needed for the development of the
state.
- See more at: http://www.lragir.am/index/eng/0/comments/view/32755#sthash.K9AWJruy.dpuf
From: A. Papazian
Hakob Badalyan, Political Commentator
Comments - 21 July 2014, 17:36
The Russian minister of economy Alexey Ulyukayev announced after the
meeting of G20 ministers of economy that Turkey is interested in the
establishment of a free economic zone. He made this statement after
the meeting with the Turkish minister of economy.
This prospect has been discussed for a long time. First Putin's
spokesman Peskov spoke about it in 2012 when Putin visited Turkey and
met with the prime minister of that country Erdogan. After the visit
Peskov announced that if Turkey expresses a wish to join the Customs
Union, Russia will welcome it.
One year later, in November 2013, Erdogan visited Russia and after his
meeting with Putin in Saint Petersburg he announced that Turkey is
interested in the prospect of free trade with the Eurasian Union.
Earlier, in October 2013, during the Customs Union summit in Minsk,
the president of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev announced about
Turkey's application. It was the summit during which Armenia was faced
with the stipulation relating to Artsakh.
The issue of membership of Armenia will be protracted for at least a
year. It is already stated that the issue of membership will be
resolved by the end of October. However, this statement is not a
guarantee that it will come true. Not because Hovik Abrahamyan was
saying it. A few days ago the foreign minister of Kazakhstan had
stated the same thing. The problem is that issue of membership of
Armenia has become a secondary matter.
The membership of Armenia is pending on more important issues facing
Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, as well as Turkey and Azerbaijan. The
prospects of relations with Turkey are one of them as they interest
Russia and Kazakhstan in economic and political terms. Apparently,
however, those are mutually excluding interests. In other words,
Agreement with Ankara is important to Moscow to prevent an
Astana-Ankara partnership axist.
The issue of the Armenian-Turkish border becomes interesting. How can
the Turkey-Customs Union free trade come into being if the border with
Armenia is closed? It will turn out that Turkey is involved in free
trade with an organization the border of which is closed. After all,
in case of membership to the Customs Union the Armenian-Turkish border
will be a Turkish-Customs Union Border.
Consequently, it turns out that while the Armenian-Turkish border is
closed, the CU-Turkey cooperation cannot reach a free trade. On the
other hand, can the free trade process lead to the opening of the
Armenian-Turkish border. The situation is getting more complicated
because there is an issue of Artsakh which Baku always puts forth to
Ankara whenever Turkey is trying to pursue any significant agreement
with any center. At the same time, Ankara is readily using the factor
of Baku's dissatisfaction because the Armenian-Turkish border is
important to Turkey in a package with Artsakh.
In this complicated situation the continuation of protraction of
Armenia's membership will be an easier solution of the problem to
Russia, Kazakhstan and Turkey for the sake of continuity of the
outlining interest with Turkey. This process has better prospects and
rich, independent from the purpose of establishment of a free trade
regime, at least as a merely political process, a trend that will be
proposed in the geopolitical competition. Iran also responds to this
prospect, intensifying its economic and political statements relating
to Armenia. The regional Russian-Turkish Kazakh trend threatens to
leave Iran in the margin. Therefore, Tehran offers Yerevan to come up
with alternative processes.
However, for the time being, Yerevan is not bold enough to move on
from extreme self-defense to sovereign initiative. For the time being,
all Armenia still can refuse to Russia what will be the end of the
government and state. However, Yerevan does not have the courage or
ability in addressing the issues needed for the development of the
state.
- See more at: http://www.lragir.am/index/eng/0/comments/view/32755#sthash.K9AWJruy.dpuf
From: A. Papazian