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"EaEU is not "irreversible" for us"
October 18 2014
The forces and politicians who are against Armenia's accession to EaEU
will still fight against it in different ways. Representatives of both
government and "non-government" forces declaring that, in fact,
Armenia's integration to the Eurasian Economic Union is irreversible,
in the last few days announced from various platforms that if there
are anti-EaEU forces in our society, then where they were and why they
did not carry out any protest against signing of the decision on
Armenia's accession to EaEU on October 10 in Minsk. And really, why
small-numbered political forces and individuals acting against
Armenia's accession to the EaEU, who have the courage to talk about
it, did not do even a small-scale protest, let's say, did not meet
Serzh Sargsyan at the airport with posters or at least did not do a
silent protest in front of the presidential office and so on... Is the
reason that EaEU is really an "irreversible" process, or they did not
have the resources or time or it was not appropriate, etc.? What was
the reason? With this respect, "Aravot" turned to the people who
openly acted from anti-EaEU positions. The founder of the Armenian
Institute for International and Security Affairs, Styopa Safaryan, in
response to our question said, "So far I've been quite active in all
of the public events organized after September 3, 2013, which were
related to Armenia's membership to EaEU. Back in early September, I
had the desire to meet like-minded people to discuss the issue of
organizing any event on October 10. Initially, among the possible
options I could see not only the public event, but also a great forum
or something like that. But it was a surprise when it was announced
about the ANC-PAP-"Heritage" joint rally in the Freedom Square on the
same day. On this day, gathered in any other square would mean
allowing making a comparison between "pros" and "cons" masses for the
accession to the EaEU, to the detriment of the first one, because
definitely the event would not be attended by too many people than it
was brought to the Freedom Square. And inadvertently it would turn out
that, really, those who are for Armenia's accession are thousands,
whereas those who are against it are a few suffering from convulsion,
as Ter-Petrosyan allowed himself to express. Therefore, I did not
think anymore of this idea, because what was done by the forces
inviting the rally, was just a brilliantly organized operation, and I
cannot but confess that its authors "went ahead" of us. The reason for
my inactivity, perhaps, is this. But this does not mean that I am not
initiating anything in the future. Soon, the Armenian Institute for
International and Security Affairs founded by me will launch, and we
would continue with our reports, forums and discussions at least our
position to the public." Coordinator of Armenia Today news-analytical
agency, also Executive Director of "Bagin" Advocates office, Argishti
Kiviryan, who actively participated in last year's various protests
against the Customs Union, said that he does not agree with the
assertion that "the EaEU is an "irreversible" process." The "EaEU "is
not an irreversible process", it is just one of the recent chimeras of
Russian imperialism. Russia does not have the economic and military
resources to be able to end the process, and is more preoccupied with
trying to keep some of the former Soviet republics under its influence
to the end. In Armenia, there were no protests on the day of signing
the agreement on Armenia's accession to the EaEU by Serzh Sargsyan,
probably because consciousness has already been matured in the mind of
some people that the process of the "protest for the sake of protest"
is barren in itself, and it is necessary to think about initiating
more serious processes that would produce real results and undermine
Armenia's neo-colonization. We must also note that the new process of
the fight against the EaEU will be quite complicated, because in fact
not only the government authorities, but also currently leading
opposition have accepted the "irreversibility" of the EaEU, and in the
global sense, are fighting for who will get the keys of the current
Armenian capital to Moscow declaring itself the "Third Rome"..." One of
the political forces acting against the EaEU is the "Civil Contract",
whose management board member Arsen Kharatyan, in response to our
questions, said, "The management board of the "Civil Contract" had
issued a statement and attended a press conference, where it clearly
stated its position on the recent developments and our future plans.
In our basic document, we have formulated the reasons for not joining
the European and Eurasian Unions at this point. We have also mentioned
that unless the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is not regulated, Armenia
should not consider the issue of joining either the European Union or
the Eurasian Union." As for specific actions, according to Arsen
Kharatyan, "on October 10, with regard to processes preceding and
following it, the "Civil Contract" responds or performs actions based
on expediency. For this particular case, no protest action was been
discussed, and then after October 10, it was decided to come up with a
statement and press conference. As for the issue of irreversibility, I
can say that we do not the decisions of integrating to Eurasian Union
or any other union or any other decisive decisions made for Armenia by
the regime during one night irreversible. In other words, as this so
as a number of other decisions can be changed after the regime
change." Artur Sakunts, Chairman of Helsinki Citizens' Assembly
Vanadzor office, is also one of the active participant in various
campaigns against joining the Customs Union. In response to our
question, he was surprised at why we pay attention to anyone's words,
and added he does not pay attention to the opinions of those who make
accusations for their inactivity. "We have presented our being against
to accession to the Customs Union during numerous protests, last year,
and October 10 was not a surprise for me, personally. We knew that the
Agreement should be signed. Our actions with regard to unacceptability
to enter into the EaEU will be continued, and it is not caused by
anyone's or any force's estimates addressed to us. We do not plan our
actions with the intention to respond to the words by this-or-that
person or a force. I, personally, refrain from paying attention on the
factors that no longer exist for me. Today, we have a challenge - an
illegitimate government and infamous activities thereby, integrating
Armenia to the dictatorship club, and our primary task is to fight
against it. It is a process that does not end in one day."
Melania BARSEGHYAN
Read more at: http://en.aravot.am/2014/10/18/167381/
October 18 2014
The forces and politicians who are against Armenia's accession to EaEU
will still fight against it in different ways. Representatives of both
government and "non-government" forces declaring that, in fact,
Armenia's integration to the Eurasian Economic Union is irreversible,
in the last few days announced from various platforms that if there
are anti-EaEU forces in our society, then where they were and why they
did not carry out any protest against signing of the decision on
Armenia's accession to EaEU on October 10 in Minsk. And really, why
small-numbered political forces and individuals acting against
Armenia's accession to the EaEU, who have the courage to talk about
it, did not do even a small-scale protest, let's say, did not meet
Serzh Sargsyan at the airport with posters or at least did not do a
silent protest in front of the presidential office and so on... Is the
reason that EaEU is really an "irreversible" process, or they did not
have the resources or time or it was not appropriate, etc.? What was
the reason? With this respect, "Aravot" turned to the people who
openly acted from anti-EaEU positions. The founder of the Armenian
Institute for International and Security Affairs, Styopa Safaryan, in
response to our question said, "So far I've been quite active in all
of the public events organized after September 3, 2013, which were
related to Armenia's membership to EaEU. Back in early September, I
had the desire to meet like-minded people to discuss the issue of
organizing any event on October 10. Initially, among the possible
options I could see not only the public event, but also a great forum
or something like that. But it was a surprise when it was announced
about the ANC-PAP-"Heritage" joint rally in the Freedom Square on the
same day. On this day, gathered in any other square would mean
allowing making a comparison between "pros" and "cons" masses for the
accession to the EaEU, to the detriment of the first one, because
definitely the event would not be attended by too many people than it
was brought to the Freedom Square. And inadvertently it would turn out
that, really, those who are for Armenia's accession are thousands,
whereas those who are against it are a few suffering from convulsion,
as Ter-Petrosyan allowed himself to express. Therefore, I did not
think anymore of this idea, because what was done by the forces
inviting the rally, was just a brilliantly organized operation, and I
cannot but confess that its authors "went ahead" of us. The reason for
my inactivity, perhaps, is this. But this does not mean that I am not
initiating anything in the future. Soon, the Armenian Institute for
International and Security Affairs founded by me will launch, and we
would continue with our reports, forums and discussions at least our
position to the public." Coordinator of Armenia Today news-analytical
agency, also Executive Director of "Bagin" Advocates office, Argishti
Kiviryan, who actively participated in last year's various protests
against the Customs Union, said that he does not agree with the
assertion that "the EaEU is an "irreversible" process." The "EaEU "is
not an irreversible process", it is just one of the recent chimeras of
Russian imperialism. Russia does not have the economic and military
resources to be able to end the process, and is more preoccupied with
trying to keep some of the former Soviet republics under its influence
to the end. In Armenia, there were no protests on the day of signing
the agreement on Armenia's accession to the EaEU by Serzh Sargsyan,
probably because consciousness has already been matured in the mind of
some people that the process of the "protest for the sake of protest"
is barren in itself, and it is necessary to think about initiating
more serious processes that would produce real results and undermine
Armenia's neo-colonization. We must also note that the new process of
the fight against the EaEU will be quite complicated, because in fact
not only the government authorities, but also currently leading
opposition have accepted the "irreversibility" of the EaEU, and in the
global sense, are fighting for who will get the keys of the current
Armenian capital to Moscow declaring itself the "Third Rome"..." One of
the political forces acting against the EaEU is the "Civil Contract",
whose management board member Arsen Kharatyan, in response to our
questions, said, "The management board of the "Civil Contract" had
issued a statement and attended a press conference, where it clearly
stated its position on the recent developments and our future plans.
In our basic document, we have formulated the reasons for not joining
the European and Eurasian Unions at this point. We have also mentioned
that unless the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is not regulated, Armenia
should not consider the issue of joining either the European Union or
the Eurasian Union." As for specific actions, according to Arsen
Kharatyan, "on October 10, with regard to processes preceding and
following it, the "Civil Contract" responds or performs actions based
on expediency. For this particular case, no protest action was been
discussed, and then after October 10, it was decided to come up with a
statement and press conference. As for the issue of irreversibility, I
can say that we do not the decisions of integrating to Eurasian Union
or any other union or any other decisive decisions made for Armenia by
the regime during one night irreversible. In other words, as this so
as a number of other decisions can be changed after the regime
change." Artur Sakunts, Chairman of Helsinki Citizens' Assembly
Vanadzor office, is also one of the active participant in various
campaigns against joining the Customs Union. In response to our
question, he was surprised at why we pay attention to anyone's words,
and added he does not pay attention to the opinions of those who make
accusations for their inactivity. "We have presented our being against
to accession to the Customs Union during numerous protests, last year,
and October 10 was not a surprise for me, personally. We knew that the
Agreement should be signed. Our actions with regard to unacceptability
to enter into the EaEU will be continued, and it is not caused by
anyone's or any force's estimates addressed to us. We do not plan our
actions with the intention to respond to the words by this-or-that
person or a force. I, personally, refrain from paying attention on the
factors that no longer exist for me. Today, we have a challenge - an
illegitimate government and infamous activities thereby, integrating
Armenia to the dictatorship club, and our primary task is to fight
against it. It is a process that does not end in one day."
Melania BARSEGHYAN
Read more at: http://en.aravot.am/2014/10/18/167381/