ARMENIA’S TURN TO PUT FORTH PRECONDITIONS

Serzh Sargsyan put forth two preconditions to Europe, one of which
has been fulfilled and the other obviously is not feasible.

During the meeting with the EU commissioner on enlargement and
neighborhood policy Stefan Fule Serzh Sargsyan and Tigran Sargsyan
openly stated that no money, no reform, hence no association. After
the meeting with them, Stefan Fule told journalists that the EU
will give money but only after the Association Agreement is signed.
Nevertheless, it is clear that Europe is ready to pay Armenia for
its association.

The second precondition that Serzh Sargsyan put forth first in Warsaw
and now in Chisinau is related to the border with Turkey. If the
Armenia-Turkey border is not opened, the Free Trade Area with the EU
is meaningless, Serzh Sargsyan said. He urged Europe to think about it.

The European officials have repeatedly hinted that they cannot
make Turkey open the border with Armenia without preconditions. The
preconditions are surrender of Karabakh territories with which not
only Serzh Sargsyan but also the West disagrees. This means that the
opening of the Armenian-Turkish border is obviously not realistic.

During the Eastern Partnership summit of the European People’s
Party in Chisinau and earlier in Yerevan the Armenian high-ranking
officials did not utter a word proving their commitment to sign the
Association Agreement in November. The lack of assurances sounded
like a confirmation of the thesis that in November Armenia will not
sign the Association and may give up this idea.

Dwelling on the financial support, Stefan Fule said that Armenia
has not fulfilled all the preconditions yet. Europe seems to have
only one condition: Armenia should keep its commitments and sign the
Association Agreement in November. There is no precondition and there
cannot be any because it is Armenia’s turn to put forth preconditions.

Dwelling on Russia’s pressure on Armenia, Stefan Fule said that such
pressure only boosts Armenia’s regional importance. He meant that
Russia needs Armenia, so Yerevan can put forth preconditions to
Russia. But Serzh Sargsyan did the contrary. Europe made it clear
that it is interested in the association with Armenia and Sargsyan
put preconditions to Europe.

Amid the big geopolitical transformations that have begun in our
region Armenia cannot rise to the level of geopolitical decisions
while sitting in shallow water and looking with fear up to the giants
emerging in the region.

Naira Hayrumyan 11:40 12/07/2013
Story from Lragir.am News:

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress