“I don’t see any reason for Armenia’s authorities not to sign new Armenia-EU agreement”
After the April 2 parliamentary elections in Armenia one of the questions bothering political, expert community was the deadline of signing Armenia-EU Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement. Like on the day of initialing Armenian FM Edward Nalbandian stated that the agreement will be signed in the period of this year, and added that it’ll reflect depth, level and volume of relations between Armenia and the European Union (EU).
The MFA head stressed the document edifies the importance that Armenia gives to its cooperation with the EU.
However, there are fears that the ceremony of signing the document, which was initialed during the pre-election campaign and which was considered the achievement of Armenian authorities, will be postponed for an uncertain period, as according to the same opinions Armenia’s authorities attempted to use initialing in favor of the campaign of the leading political party, not fully approved by Russia, which in 2013 succeeded o fail signing of Armenia-EU Association Agreement (AA) for the purpose of membership to EEU. Despite these concerns, the European side is sure that the agreement will be signed.
The day following the April elections Heidi Hautala, Head of the delegation from the European Parliament, stated that the EU greatly supported holding NA elections in Armenia, financed purchase of technical equipment. “They consoled some concerns, however, the election process was complicated. Unfortunately, there is trustworthy information that administrative resource has been used, in particular, pressure was exerted over employees of schools and hospitals. Armenia and the EU deepen relations—the comprehensive agreement is initialed. Probably, it’ll be signed in November in Brussels,” Hautala said.
Richard Charnetsky, deputy president of the EuroNest Parliamentary Assembly, European political figure, told “168 Hours” that he doesn’t observe any reason for such concerns, as basically the power has won majority in the parliament, which a year ago launched negotiations around Armenia–EU Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement, by perfectly finalizing them and having maintenance and certain deepening of relations with the Brussels in its agenda.
According to him, officials in Brussels and Yerevan have already talked on probability of signing the agreement by the end of the year, by which Armenia and the EU have been guided during the negotiations and on account of readiness of the sides to sign the agreement.
“The leading political party has won in the elections, which has constantly appeared in favor of signing this agreement. I don’t see any reasons to insist that this agreement won’t be signed and issues will emerge, although I should stress once again that this decision depended on the future government in Armenia and its priorities the new government will define, one point is clear for the EU—the latter proposed an Association Agreement (AA), realizing that it’s impossible, it proposed an opportunity to amend it, I don’t consider priorities of the new government will bear breakthrough changes, as greater changes of the staff aren’t basically anticipated.
On account of the circumstance that the new agreement doesn’t suppose deep cooperation in the field of economy, where EEU has a monopoly, but the agreement enshrines Armenia-EU cooperation fields and the vision, Armenia’s democratic reforms and the course to democracy. I don’t consider we’ll have issues regarding the agreement,” MEP assured, adding that the agreement has been made on account of Armenia’s geopolitical issues, due to which the Armenian side substituted the AA and DCFTA proposed by the EU with membership to EEU.
He supposes after development of Armenian government, end of election processes in Armenia and finalization of necessary works in the European side, the agreement will be definitely signed.
By Araks Martirosyan
