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ARMENIA STILL SEEKING TIES WITH EU DESPITE JOINING EURASIAN UNION
Deutsche Presse-Agentur, Germany
January 20, 2015 Tuesday 4:12 PM EST
Brussels
DPA POLITICS Armenia diplomacy EU Armenia still seeking ties with EU
despite joining Eurasian union Brussels Armenia is seeking closer ties
with the European Union, its foreign minister said Tuesday, despite
the country's membership in the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union.
"We are going to enhance and to develop, to deepen our comprehensive
cooperation and partnership with the EU, taking into due consideration
our commitments in other international integration processes," Eduard
Nalbandyan said during a visit to Brussels.
At the same time, he declared that "we have very strong allied
strategic relations with Russia and we will continue to strengthen
and enhance our friendly relations with Russia."
Relations between Moscow and the EU have soured over the crisis in
Ukraine, reaching their lowest point since the end of the Cold War.
Armenia had originally been expected to initial a deal with the EU
on closer political and trade ties in November 2013, after more than
three years of negotiations. But its president then announced that
Armenia would join the Russian union.
The move put the EU in an difficult situation, as officials believe
that a country cannot both join the Eurasian union and enter a free
trade agreement with the bloc.
The EU's top official for neighbourhood relations said Tuesday that
the agreement negotiated with Armenia will have to be "adjusted,"
but also expressed hope that "the substance of its political part"
can be kept.
"We need still final clarification of some areas," EU Commissioner
Johannes Hahn said. "I hope we can finalize these remaining elements
in February in order to conclude this joint reflection."
Latvia, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the 28-country
EU, would then like to see negotiations on a new agreement with
Armenia launched at an Eastern Partnership summit it will host in May.
"That could probably be also a good example [of] how, being a part of
one union, you can still successfully cooperate also with the other
union," Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics said.
"The EU is not competing with somebody over Armenia or over any other
eastern partner," he added.
The EU's Eastern Partnership project includes six former Soviet states
- Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine.
The latter three have signed political and trade agreements with
Brussels.
Belarus is another member of the Eurasian union, along with
Kazakhstan. Kyrgyzstan is also expected to join.
Deutsche Presse-Agentur, Germany
January 20, 2015 Tuesday 4:12 PM EST
Brussels
DPA POLITICS Armenia diplomacy EU Armenia still seeking ties with EU
despite joining Eurasian union Brussels Armenia is seeking closer ties
with the European Union, its foreign minister said Tuesday, despite
the country's membership in the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union.
"We are going to enhance and to develop, to deepen our comprehensive
cooperation and partnership with the EU, taking into due consideration
our commitments in other international integration processes," Eduard
Nalbandyan said during a visit to Brussels.
At the same time, he declared that "we have very strong allied
strategic relations with Russia and we will continue to strengthen
and enhance our friendly relations with Russia."
Relations between Moscow and the EU have soured over the crisis in
Ukraine, reaching their lowest point since the end of the Cold War.
Armenia had originally been expected to initial a deal with the EU
on closer political and trade ties in November 2013, after more than
three years of negotiations. But its president then announced that
Armenia would join the Russian union.
The move put the EU in an difficult situation, as officials believe
that a country cannot both join the Eurasian union and enter a free
trade agreement with the bloc.
The EU's top official for neighbourhood relations said Tuesday that
the agreement negotiated with Armenia will have to be "adjusted,"
but also expressed hope that "the substance of its political part"
can be kept.
"We need still final clarification of some areas," EU Commissioner
Johannes Hahn said. "I hope we can finalize these remaining elements
in February in order to conclude this joint reflection."
Latvia, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the 28-country
EU, would then like to see negotiations on a new agreement with
Armenia launched at an Eastern Partnership summit it will host in May.
"That could probably be also a good example [of] how, being a part of
one union, you can still successfully cooperate also with the other
union," Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics said.
"The EU is not competing with somebody over Armenia or over any other
eastern partner," he added.
The EU's Eastern Partnership project includes six former Soviet states
- Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine.
The latter three have signed political and trade agreements with
Brussels.
Belarus is another member of the Eurasian union, along with
Kazakhstan. Kyrgyzstan is also expected to join.