The Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan has announced that his country will join the Russian led Customs Union and will participate in the formation of the proposed Eurasian Union. This decision will in effect end the chances that Armenia will enter into an Association Agreement with the European Union and will sign the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area Agreement as was planned. Sargsyan made the announcement during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday. Armenia was supposed to sign the agreements with the EU at the Vilnius Summit of the EU Eastern Partnership in November. The substantive part of the negotiations had been successfully concluded in July in Brussels,
Speaking to journalists after the meeting with President Putin, the Armenian leader said,
"One of the main topics of our discussions today was the need for infrastructural development in Armenia , the modernization and diversification of our economy in which Russia has a large investment.
We discussed areas where we can work together to expand the horizons of our cooperation. Amongst these are military-technical cooperation, the fuel and energy sector, including the issues of cooperation in the field of nuclear energy, transport and communications .
We have also held a detailed exchange of views on issues of Eurasian integration, and I confirmed Armenia's desire to join the Customs Union and to join in the formation of the Eurasian Economic Union. Twenty years ago, Armenia helped built a system of military security in the format of the Collective Security Treaty , in partnership with Russia and some other CIS countries. Over the decades, the system has proved its viability and effectiveness. Now, our partners in the CSTO form a new platform of economic interaction . I have repeatedly said that Our existence in the same security structure makes isolation from the corresponding geo-economic realm unfeasable and inefficient
It is a rational decision , this decision is based on the national interests of Armenia. This decision is not a rejection of our dialogue with the European institutions . During these same years, Armenia, with the support of European partners held a number of important institutional reforms. Both Armenia today , in this sense , is much more productive and competitive state than years ago. We intend in the future to continue these reform."
Commonspace.eu political editor said in a comment:
"There is nothing astonishing about the decision of the Armenian President to opt to join the Russian led Customs Union and the Eurasian Economic Union. In fact this is what many had been expecting all along. This is a decision for the Armenian government to make and it is up to the Armenian people, not others, to question it. What is quite astonishing however is that Armenia had for several years been pursuing a completely different course by engaging in negotiations to sign an Association Agreement with EU and a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement, and had indicated until a few days ago that this what it was going to do. How this all of a sudden stopped being rational is perplexing.
Nobody in Brussels or anywhere else in the European Union lost any sleep last night because of Sargsyan's decision. In fact a more closely associated Armenia would have necessitated considerable economic and financial committment on the part of the EU which will now not be necessary. One would assume that next time Mr Putin goes to Yerevan he will bring his chequebook with him. But internationally there will be questions about how Armenia goes about doing international relations, and domestically the decision, which has been taken with very little public consultation, will no doubt stir a debate."
source: commonspace.eu
photo; President Putin and President Sargbsyan after their meeting on 3 September 2013.
