EXPERTS COMMENT ON PUTIN’S COMING MEETING WITH SARGSYAN

Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
Aug 30 2013

30 August 2013 – 7:32pm

The Kremlin officially confirmed today the information concerning
President Putin’s meeting with his Armenian counterpart Serzh Sargsyan.

President Sargsyan is going to travel to Moscow on September 3. The
parties are expected to discuss issues of bilateral cooperation in
the spheres of trade, energy, culture and politics.

Member of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy
of Sciences Alexander Skakov believes the talks will not be devoted
to Armenia’s associate membership in the European Union.

According to the expert, Russia pays special attention to Ukraine’s
integration into the EU, but is indifferent to the same move made
by Armenia.

The parties will probably focus on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,
he believes.

However, deputy head of the Caucasus Institute Sergey Minasyan thinks
that the president will discuss Armenia’s integration into the EU
above other issues.

The parties will try to understand whether Armenia will be able to
combine its European integration with the cooperation with Russia
and the Customs Union, the expert says.