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ARMENIA AND KYRGYZSTAN TO JOIN EURASIAN UNION WITHIN MONTHS
Tengrinews, Kazakhstan
May 30 2014
Friday, 30.05.2014, 15:30
Armenia and Kyrgyzstan have vowed to join the Eurasian Economic Union
of Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus this year, Tengrinews reported from
the Supreme Eurasian Council in Astana.
During the meeting Armenia's president Serzh Sargsyan asked "to set
a deadline for signing a treaty on Armenia's joining the Eurasian
Economic Union to June 15 this year". He continued by saying that it
will take only 2 or 3 days "to find on mutually acceptable terms that
would satisfy both us and our partners".
Sargsyan expressed hope that the signing of the Treaty establishing
the Eurasian Union also signified the beginning of its future
enlargement. On his part, Armenia's president promised to do everything
possible to bring forward the issue of joining the Union to the
national parliament.
Another post-Soviet state - Kyrgyzstan - also hopes to join the Union
in the near future. The country's president Almazbek Atambayev said
that it was impossible for him to declare "as did his excellency
President Sargsyan that all questions will be solved in a matter of
days". He, nevertheless, said that Kyrgyzstan hoped to "meet the new
year in the same union" with its larger neighbors. The president also
said he was hoping to receive support both from the Kyrgyz parliament
and the member-states of the new Union.
Atambayev also noted that integration with the Eurasian Union is
a significant decision it terms of selection of direction of the
country's economic development. At the same time, he stated that
"the member-states of the Union are not only our economic partners,
but above all, they are congenial nations that shar a common history
and have no language barrier".
Commenting on Armenia's and Kyrgyzstan's intention to join the
Eurasian Economic Union, Putin said: "The attitude of our colleagues,
both Armenia, and Kyrgyzstan is serious, pragmatic and based on their
national interests. It is a clear desire to achieve the set milestones
and rely on our joint efforts. We will support and facilitate this
process."
The president of Belarus Lukashenko declared that as long as the
countries reached the appropriate level of readiness and fulfilled
all the conditions, they were welcome to join the Union: "I think we
will be delighted to accept these countries into our ranks".
However, there were sensitive chords struck during the meeting.
Nazarbayev asked Armenia's president to consider the position
of Azerbaijan on the issue. Nazarbayev reminded that Azerbaijan
sent a letter requesting to accept Armenia into the union with a
reservation that regulations of the unions will be in effect only at
the internationally recognized territory of Armenia, in particular
that recognized by the UN.
Azerbaijan's worries arise from the territorial dispute over
Nagorno-Karabakh - an ethnically dominated Armenian enclave within
the Azerbaijani territory.
Reported by Asel Satayeva and Altynai Zhumzhumina, writing by Dinara
Urazova
http://en.tengrinews.kz/politics_sub/Armenia-and-Kyrgyzstan-to-join-Eurasian-Union-within-months-253846/
Tengrinews, Kazakhstan
May 30 2014
Friday, 30.05.2014, 15:30
Armenia and Kyrgyzstan have vowed to join the Eurasian Economic Union
of Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus this year, Tengrinews reported from
the Supreme Eurasian Council in Astana.
During the meeting Armenia's president Serzh Sargsyan asked "to set
a deadline for signing a treaty on Armenia's joining the Eurasian
Economic Union to June 15 this year". He continued by saying that it
will take only 2 or 3 days "to find on mutually acceptable terms that
would satisfy both us and our partners".
Sargsyan expressed hope that the signing of the Treaty establishing
the Eurasian Union also signified the beginning of its future
enlargement. On his part, Armenia's president promised to do everything
possible to bring forward the issue of joining the Union to the
national parliament.
Another post-Soviet state - Kyrgyzstan - also hopes to join the Union
in the near future. The country's president Almazbek Atambayev said
that it was impossible for him to declare "as did his excellency
President Sargsyan that all questions will be solved in a matter of
days". He, nevertheless, said that Kyrgyzstan hoped to "meet the new
year in the same union" with its larger neighbors. The president also
said he was hoping to receive support both from the Kyrgyz parliament
and the member-states of the new Union.
Atambayev also noted that integration with the Eurasian Union is
a significant decision it terms of selection of direction of the
country's economic development. At the same time, he stated that
"the member-states of the Union are not only our economic partners,
but above all, they are congenial nations that shar a common history
and have no language barrier".
Commenting on Armenia's and Kyrgyzstan's intention to join the
Eurasian Economic Union, Putin said: "The attitude of our colleagues,
both Armenia, and Kyrgyzstan is serious, pragmatic and based on their
national interests. It is a clear desire to achieve the set milestones
and rely on our joint efforts. We will support and facilitate this
process."
The president of Belarus Lukashenko declared that as long as the
countries reached the appropriate level of readiness and fulfilled
all the conditions, they were welcome to join the Union: "I think we
will be delighted to accept these countries into our ranks".
However, there were sensitive chords struck during the meeting.
Nazarbayev asked Armenia's president to consider the position
of Azerbaijan on the issue. Nazarbayev reminded that Azerbaijan
sent a letter requesting to accept Armenia into the union with a
reservation that regulations of the unions will be in effect only at
the internationally recognized territory of Armenia, in particular
that recognized by the UN.
Azerbaijan's worries arise from the territorial dispute over
Nagorno-Karabakh - an ethnically dominated Armenian enclave within
the Azerbaijani territory.
Reported by Asel Satayeva and Altynai Zhumzhumina, writing by Dinara
Urazova
http://en.tengrinews.kz/politics_sub/Armenia-and-Kyrgyzstan-to-join-Eurasian-Union-within-months-253846/