Georgia alone in region – Arnold Stepanyan

13:39 – 01.12.13

The Eastern Partnership summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, caused Georgia
to remain alone in the region after it initialed an Association
Agreement with the European Union (EU), Chairman of the Multinational
Georgia NGO Arnold Stepanyan told Tert.am.

`Ukraine was the locomotive. However, Armenia’s joining the initialing
process was of high importance for Georgia as the attention by the
Armenian communities in the US and Europe would have drawn additional
attention to the region. But now we have actually been left alone in
the region and not only in the region,’ Stepanyan said.

He is hopeful that Armenia and Georgia joining the Customs Union and
the EU respectively will not affect the Armenian-Georgian political
relations. However, it cannot but affect the bilateral economic
relations and joint enterprises.

Expert in Georgian studies Vahe Sargsyan voiced the opinion that the
Armenian-Georgian border would turn into a border between the Customs
Union and the EU after Georgia signed the Association Agreement with
the EU in 2014.

Arnold Stepanyan believes that it will at least complicate the
implementation of joint projects and cause businesses to leave Armenia
for Georgia.

`It may affect on Armenia’s exports to Georgia. On the other hand, I
think Armenian businesses are likely to enter the Georgian market at
higher rates. The reason is not only our more favorable business laws,
but also more favorable conditions for exporting products to Europe,’
he said.

Armenian News – Tert.am

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress