European integration remains an Armenian foreign policy priority, as well as development of relations with the USA and Russia. Primeminister Tigran Sarkisyan has recently said that eurointegration has no alternatives. Director of the Institute for Caucasian studies, Alexander Iskandaryan, answers questions concerning relations between the EU and Armenia and prospects of Armenian integration into Europe.
- European Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy Štefan Füle said that EU-Armenian relations are developing very quickly. Do you agree?
- Work on development of EU-Armenia relations is going ahead quite successfully . Generally, I agree with Füle's assessment. Relations are probably developing successfully, although not very quickly.
- What spheres of EU-Armenian relations are of primary importance?
- This question deals mainly with the future. Firstly, it is necessary to further cooperation in the currently-developed sphere,that is the sphere of legislative harmonization between Armenia and the EU ( i.e. adjusting Armenian legislation to European norms), as well as development of trade relations. Currently, we want an expansion of the Armenian goods, especially agricultural ones, admitted for sale in Europe. Moreover, it is necessary to continue cooperation within the framework of the so-called Bologna Process. Realization of the Bologna Accords has entered its final stage. Armenia is virtually becoming a participant in the Bologna education system.
Which issues are the most promising? I think it is the easing of the visa regime between Armenia and EU. However, alleviation of the visa regime for some categories of citizens, such as journalists and scientists, is clearly insufficient. These categories of citizens have no significant difficulties with visiting Europe even now,although other social groups face various difficulties. Armenia is part of the EU "Eastern Partnership" programme and this matter requires futher work. Europe is afraid of an influx of migrants. However, in this respect Armenia can't be compared with big countries.
- What factors limit Armenia's further integration into Europe?
- The first and most obvious aspect is its geographical position. Armenia is not Moldova, bordering the EU. Accordingly, the problems are mainly economic and geographic. For example, shipment of cargo from Armenia to Europe is expensive, which negatively affects the eurointegration process . In addition, Armenia borders on two countries - Turkey and Georgia - which are problems for Europeans. On the one hand, there is the frozen Armenian-Turkish process, and on the other - Georgia has specific difficulties linked to the Ossetian and Abkhazian conflicts. The second important factor limiting the ability of Armenia to integrate into Europe is that, in contrast to neighbouring Georgia, which has practically ceased relations with Russia, Armenia cannot help but look back to Russia. The relationship with the latter is very important for Armenia. While developing relations with Europe, Armenia keeps Russia in mind, and vice versa. This phenomenon of Armenian foreign policy is referred to as complimentarism. Of course, this policy has certain problems. But Armenia’s policy, aimed at maintaining relationships based on a culture of consensus with all countries, is working "on the pros.” By the way, a culture of consensus with neighbours is what is required from the Europeans themselves.
- Can we consider the "Eastern Partnership" programme as the EU's attempt to create a new sphere of influence and as a process aimed against Russia?
- I would not say that this programme is aimed against Russia. It is clear that this programme does not consider Russia a partner, because it is almost impossible to imagine a programme with a country with a population of 140 million people, bordering Mongolia, China and the Central Asian countries. The format of the EU's relations with Russia is incompatible with the EU programmes aimed at small countries like Armenia. Thus, the "Eastern Partnership" is not against Russia, just without it.
As regards the sphere of influence, I would not use this term. Europe is trying to implement a model of coexistence between the countries with each other outside the EU. We are not talking about military and political influence in Ukraine or the South Caucasus. The EU seeks to spread the system of European values and does so for obvious reasons - it wants to see at its borders neighbours with whom it can interact and who would be more predictable. Interaction with neighbouring states requires a certain framework and game rules, which in turn are dictated by the "Eastern Partnership”. I would not call it an influence, but a prolongation of the common European space beyond the institutionalized part of Europe, i.e. the EU. For example, Norway, Iceland and Switzerland make use of Schengen visas. Does that mean that the EU extends its influence to these countries? No. Simply, these countries are part of a wider space than the EU. Of course, for us today, this level is unattainable, but the phenomenon is similar.
- Can we regard the EU as an alternative force to American and Russian influence in the South Caucasus?
- In general, no. The US, Russia and the EU operate in our region in different modes. The US is interested in geopolitical influence. It is a global power, and therefore it has its own interests in every region of the world. Russia is acting in the military and political sphere, due to the specificity of the relations between Armenia and Russia. In addition, Russia is making major investments in such important sectors of the economy as transport and energy. The EU is a "soft power", its sphere of influence includes culture, education, trade and economic exchange, as well as not very significant investments. In particular, Russian investments are politically motivated, while the European ones are motivated by business, that is, the EU comes to our region only if there is a profit. Thus, there are three major external powers in the South Caucasus that act in different configurations. Sometimes these forces collide and then Armenia has to manoeuvre. Until now, Armenia has been managing to create a platform which did not make anyone particularly happy, but also displeased no one particularly.
- Does the EU play an important role in stabilizing the situation in the South Caucasus?
- The guarantor of stability in the South Caucasus is not a certain political center, but the combination of interests. The stability is provided by a scheme involving Moscow, Washington, Brussels, Tehran, Ankara, Yerevan, Baku and Tbilisi. There are many interests that overlap, as well as problematic relations between the parties of the scheme. However, these relations are somehow regulated and somehow lead sometimes to a balance, which creates stability. Certainly, the EU is an essential part of the balance of powers, but it does not provide stability on its own.
Interview by Susanna Petrosyan, Yerevan, exclusively for ‘Vestnik Kavkaza.’
