Will Armenia refuse to endorse the association agreement with the EU?

A day before the working visit by Armenian President Serge Sargsyan to Moscow, Russian and Armenian mass media reported that the key event of the visit might be a statement by Sargsyan about cancelling the initialing of the association agreement with the EU, as the European partners didn’t support the format “and-and” (i.e. parallel development of relations between Armenia and the EU and integration structures of the post-Soviet space, like the Customs Union). Vestnik Kavkaza interviewed economic experts of Russia and Armenia on the information.

The head of the Analysis Center WTO-Inform, Yevgeny Korchevoi, has stated that it can happen, as the decision on what union Armenia will cooperate with is a question of a reasonable and exclusively economic choice. “Considering the fact that Armenia’s turnover with the countries of the Customs Union is higher than with the EU, especially in the sphere of exports, I think it is possible from the economic point of view. As for the political situation, I am an economist, not a politician, but I think we have normal, friendly, partnership relations with Armenia,” the expert explained his view.

Armenian economist Tatul Manasaryan commented on the possible cancellation of initialing from the Armenian side. He has said that all steps by Armenia will be based on its official foreign political doctrine. “The doctrine is clear: Armenia has a strategic partnership with Russia; Armenia develops bilateral and multisided relations with all countries, and development of relations with any country should not damage the strategic partnership with Russia,” Manasaryan said.