Tweet
FOUR'S A CROWD?: ARMENIA NOT TO ATTEND UPCOMING SUMMIT OF THREE EEU LEADERS
ANALYSIS | 11.03.15 | 10:55
By NAIRA HAYRUMYAN
ArmeniaNow correspondent
The presidents of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan, Vladimir Putin,
Alexander Lukashenko and Nursultan Nazarbayev, are going to hold a
trilateral meeting in Astana on March 13 to discuss issues of economic
cooperation and the international situation, the press service of
Kazakhstan's head of state reported earlier this week.
The official website of the Kremlin, meanwhile, emphasized that at
this meeting "the parties are going to discuss the current state and
prospects of trade and economic cooperation among the three countries
and the Eurasian integration processes, taking into account the
influence of the current trends in the world economy."
Three of the four presidents of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU)
member states are gathering in the Kazakh capital of Astana this week.
Analysts in Yerevan are trying to find an answer to the question why
Presidents Serzh Sargsyan has apparently not been even invited to
the meeting. Armenia joined the EEU as a full member on January 2.
Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan says the Armenian
side will not participate in the meeting of the presidents of Russia,
Belarus and Kazakhstan because it has no disagreements with these
countries.
"These three countries [Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan] have problems
among themselves that they do not hide, and they are trying to overcome
their differences. We have no disagreements, we have just become a
member [of the EEU], we have no problems with any of these states or
the EEU as a whole," Kocharyan explained on Tuesday.
Political experts and opposition politicians, like Soviet-era dissident
and leader of the opposition National Self-Determination Union Paruyr
Hayrikyan, for example, consider that the three founding nations of
the EEU are trying to make it clear to Armenia in every way that it
will not be allowed to take part in decision-making.
More than two months after Armenia's official accession to the
Russian-led trade bloc the South Caucasus country has registered a
decline in almost all economic areas. Many experts say that it shows
that membership in the EEU has become a constraint rather than stimulus
for Armenia's economic development.
Official Yerevan does not hide the statistics that shows that, for
example, exports to Russia in January 2015 fell by 99.9 percent. Even
though it may only reflect the situation when real exports to Russia
are not documented as such because of continuing "Eurasian" transit
problems with Georgia.
The Lragir newspaper suggests that there might be "personal
differences" between Sargsyan and the presidents of the other EEU
member states. In particular, the publication says that the lukewarm
relations between Sargsyan and Putin were demonstrated after the
January 12 murder of a seven-member Armenian family in Gyumri allegedly
committed by a soldier serving at the locally headquartered Russian
military base.
Then the telephone conversation between the two leaders took place only
a week after the incident. After that there were no official reports on
negotiations between Sargsyan and Putin, and the Russian side refuses
to hand over the soldier charged with the murders to Armenian custody.
Officially, there is no talk about any differences between Armenia
and the EEU member states, especially Russia. But the information
background presenting optimistic and positive expectations about
the radiant Eurasian future of Armenia and the centuries-long
Russian-Armenian friendship has suddenly disappeared, which may also
be evidence of the aggravating differences.
Meanwhile, Russia is stepping up its pressure on the EEU member
countries. On March 10, President Vladimir Putin instructed the Bank
of Russia, jointly with the Government of the Russian Federation
and in cooperation with the Central Banks of the EEU member states,
"to determine future directions of integration in the monetary and
financial sectors within the framework of the Eurasian Economic Union
with the study of the feasibility of establishing a currency union
in the future."
In other words, Putin has given instructions to find ways to introduce
a single currency in the EEU space. It is not hard to guess that
this issue will also be discussed at the upcoming summit in Astana -
apparently, without Armenia.
http://armenianow.com/commentary/analysis/61313/armenia_eurasian_economic_union_sargsyan_summit_as tana
ANALYSIS | 11.03.15 | 10:55
By NAIRA HAYRUMYAN
ArmeniaNow correspondent
The presidents of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan, Vladimir Putin,
Alexander Lukashenko and Nursultan Nazarbayev, are going to hold a
trilateral meeting in Astana on March 13 to discuss issues of economic
cooperation and the international situation, the press service of
Kazakhstan's head of state reported earlier this week.
The official website of the Kremlin, meanwhile, emphasized that at
this meeting "the parties are going to discuss the current state and
prospects of trade and economic cooperation among the three countries
and the Eurasian integration processes, taking into account the
influence of the current trends in the world economy."
Three of the four presidents of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU)
member states are gathering in the Kazakh capital of Astana this week.
Analysts in Yerevan are trying to find an answer to the question why
Presidents Serzh Sargsyan has apparently not been even invited to
the meeting. Armenia joined the EEU as a full member on January 2.
Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan says the Armenian
side will not participate in the meeting of the presidents of Russia,
Belarus and Kazakhstan because it has no disagreements with these
countries.
"These three countries [Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan] have problems
among themselves that they do not hide, and they are trying to overcome
their differences. We have no disagreements, we have just become a
member [of the EEU], we have no problems with any of these states or
the EEU as a whole," Kocharyan explained on Tuesday.
Political experts and opposition politicians, like Soviet-era dissident
and leader of the opposition National Self-Determination Union Paruyr
Hayrikyan, for example, consider that the three founding nations of
the EEU are trying to make it clear to Armenia in every way that it
will not be allowed to take part in decision-making.
More than two months after Armenia's official accession to the
Russian-led trade bloc the South Caucasus country has registered a
decline in almost all economic areas. Many experts say that it shows
that membership in the EEU has become a constraint rather than stimulus
for Armenia's economic development.
Official Yerevan does not hide the statistics that shows that, for
example, exports to Russia in January 2015 fell by 99.9 percent. Even
though it may only reflect the situation when real exports to Russia
are not documented as such because of continuing "Eurasian" transit
problems with Georgia.
The Lragir newspaper suggests that there might be "personal
differences" between Sargsyan and the presidents of the other EEU
member states. In particular, the publication says that the lukewarm
relations between Sargsyan and Putin were demonstrated after the
January 12 murder of a seven-member Armenian family in Gyumri allegedly
committed by a soldier serving at the locally headquartered Russian
military base.
Then the telephone conversation between the two leaders took place only
a week after the incident. After that there were no official reports on
negotiations between Sargsyan and Putin, and the Russian side refuses
to hand over the soldier charged with the murders to Armenian custody.
Officially, there is no talk about any differences between Armenia
and the EEU member states, especially Russia. But the information
background presenting optimistic and positive expectations about
the radiant Eurasian future of Armenia and the centuries-long
Russian-Armenian friendship has suddenly disappeared, which may also
be evidence of the aggravating differences.
Meanwhile, Russia is stepping up its pressure on the EEU member
countries. On March 10, President Vladimir Putin instructed the Bank
of Russia, jointly with the Government of the Russian Federation
and in cooperation with the Central Banks of the EEU member states,
"to determine future directions of integration in the monetary and
financial sectors within the framework of the Eurasian Economic Union
with the study of the feasibility of establishing a currency union
in the future."
In other words, Putin has given instructions to find ways to introduce
a single currency in the EEU space. It is not hard to guess that
this issue will also be discussed at the upcoming summit in Astana -
apparently, without Armenia.
http://armenianow.com/commentary/analysis/61313/armenia_eurasian_economic_union_sargsyan_summit_as tana