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ANALYSIS: WTO TERMS AND ARMENIA'S EURASIAN INTEGRATION; NEW OBSTACLES ARISE
ANALYSIS | 25.06.14 | 11:31
http://armenianow.com/commentary/analysis/55554/armenia_eurasian_union_accession_russia_lavrov_ana lysis
Photo: www.president.am
By NAIRA HAYRUMYAN
ArmeniaNow correspondent
RELATED NEWS
Russian deputy PM: Armenia to compensate WTO partners for Eurasian
integration
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who visited Yerevan on June
22-23, did not indicate any date of Armenia's accession to the Eurasian
Economic Union (EEU). He cited the fact that it was on June 23 that
in Sochi consultations were held on the issue of Armenia's membership.
"Hopefully, good news reaches us from Sochi," the top Russian diplomat
said in Yerevan.
Meanwhile, consultations of the Eurasian Economic Commission in the
southern resort city in Russia were conducted with the participation
of deputy prime ministers of Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus. The
main issue was the forthcoming signing by Ukraine of an Association
Agreement with the European Union and the future relations between
the EEU and Kyiv. In the official statement issued on the results of
the meeting it was only said on the part of Armenia that the issue
of Armenia's joining the EEU had been discussed.
No representative from Armenia participated in the meeting. First
Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Igor Shuvalov stated that Armenia's
accession to the EEU would entail talks on compensation for its World
Trade Organization (WTO) partners. It looks like a statement about
the impossibility of Armenia's accession, at least for the time being.
Armenia is a member of the WTO since 2003, Russia joined the
organization in 2013, and Kazakhstan and Belarus are not members of
this organization. Kazakhstan has already submitted its application,
but has received no reply yet. The customs duties in WTO-member
countries are significantly lower than those that exist in the Customs
Union member states. And in the event of Armenia's entry into the
EEU it will have to pay compensation to other WTO members.
Most likely it was confirmed during Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan's
visit to Tbilisi on June 20. Georgia is a member of the WTO since
2000, and now a free privileged customs regime is being applied
between Armenia and Georgia. But it will be canceled after the June
27 signing by Georgia of an Association Agreement with the EU and in
the case of Armenia's accession to the EEU.
There are more and more obstacles arising to Armenia's accession to the
Russian-led trade bloc. Earlier, on May 29, in Astana, Kazakhstan's
President Nursultan Nazarbayev set a condition to Armenia citing a
demand from Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev that Armenia should
enter the EEU only within its internationally recognized borders,
in other words, without Nagorno-Karabakh. President Sargsyan has
already confirmed that it will be so, although some analysts and
ordinary citizens found unacceptable the separation of Armenia and
Karabakh even by a customs checkpoint.
But apparently, Sargsyan knew that there were more serious obstacles,
in particular, the position of Georgia, which today is the only transit
country for Armenia. Georgia has no reason to help Armenia and Russia
to strengthen their alliance, and, apparently, it was made clear to
the Armenian leader during his recent visit to Tbilisi.
No one knows yet what compensation Armenia will have to pay to
WTO-member countries, but it is obvious that Yerevan will have
neither means nor desire to pay for membership in the EEU that in
economic terms promises only losses. The benefit from this union for
Armenia is only in terms of security and stability that Russia uses
to blackmail Armenia and prevent its Euro-Atlantic integration.
But in order "not to anger" Russia, Armenia does not necessarily
have to join the EEU, all it needs is to periodically state that
it has chosen the path of Eurasian integration and close relations
with Russia. The main thing is that Armenia continues to block the
regional communications lobbied by the West and Iran and stop short
of challenging Russia's monopoly.
ANALYSIS | 25.06.14 | 11:31
http://armenianow.com/commentary/analysis/55554/armenia_eurasian_union_accession_russia_lavrov_ana lysis
Photo: www.president.am
By NAIRA HAYRUMYAN
ArmeniaNow correspondent
RELATED NEWS
Russian deputy PM: Armenia to compensate WTO partners for Eurasian
integration
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who visited Yerevan on June
22-23, did not indicate any date of Armenia's accession to the Eurasian
Economic Union (EEU). He cited the fact that it was on June 23 that
in Sochi consultations were held on the issue of Armenia's membership.
"Hopefully, good news reaches us from Sochi," the top Russian diplomat
said in Yerevan.
Meanwhile, consultations of the Eurasian Economic Commission in the
southern resort city in Russia were conducted with the participation
of deputy prime ministers of Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus. The
main issue was the forthcoming signing by Ukraine of an Association
Agreement with the European Union and the future relations between
the EEU and Kyiv. In the official statement issued on the results of
the meeting it was only said on the part of Armenia that the issue
of Armenia's joining the EEU had been discussed.
No representative from Armenia participated in the meeting. First
Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Igor Shuvalov stated that Armenia's
accession to the EEU would entail talks on compensation for its World
Trade Organization (WTO) partners. It looks like a statement about
the impossibility of Armenia's accession, at least for the time being.
Armenia is a member of the WTO since 2003, Russia joined the
organization in 2013, and Kazakhstan and Belarus are not members of
this organization. Kazakhstan has already submitted its application,
but has received no reply yet. The customs duties in WTO-member
countries are significantly lower than those that exist in the Customs
Union member states. And in the event of Armenia's entry into the
EEU it will have to pay compensation to other WTO members.
Most likely it was confirmed during Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan's
visit to Tbilisi on June 20. Georgia is a member of the WTO since
2000, and now a free privileged customs regime is being applied
between Armenia and Georgia. But it will be canceled after the June
27 signing by Georgia of an Association Agreement with the EU and in
the case of Armenia's accession to the EEU.
There are more and more obstacles arising to Armenia's accession to the
Russian-led trade bloc. Earlier, on May 29, in Astana, Kazakhstan's
President Nursultan Nazarbayev set a condition to Armenia citing a
demand from Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev that Armenia should
enter the EEU only within its internationally recognized borders,
in other words, without Nagorno-Karabakh. President Sargsyan has
already confirmed that it will be so, although some analysts and
ordinary citizens found unacceptable the separation of Armenia and
Karabakh even by a customs checkpoint.
But apparently, Sargsyan knew that there were more serious obstacles,
in particular, the position of Georgia, which today is the only transit
country for Armenia. Georgia has no reason to help Armenia and Russia
to strengthen their alliance, and, apparently, it was made clear to
the Armenian leader during his recent visit to Tbilisi.
No one knows yet what compensation Armenia will have to pay to
WTO-member countries, but it is obvious that Yerevan will have
neither means nor desire to pay for membership in the EEU that in
economic terms promises only losses. The benefit from this union for
Armenia is only in terms of security and stability that Russia uses
to blackmail Armenia and prevent its Euro-Atlantic integration.
But in order "not to anger" Russia, Armenia does not necessarily
have to join the EEU, all it needs is to periodically state that
it has chosen the path of Eurasian integration and close relations
with Russia. The main thing is that Armenia continues to block the
regional communications lobbied by the West and Iran and stop short
of challenging Russia's monopoly.