ARMENIA COULD HAVE AVOIDED ENTERING CUSTOMS UNION – POLITICAL SCIENTIST
February 10, 2014 | 12:32
YEREVAN. – Turning down the European Union (EU) and the Customs Union,
and becoming a bridge between these two organizations would have been
the best option for Armenia.
Political scientist Yervand Bozoyan stated the above-said at a press
conference on Monday.
“Had it not caused resentment by Russia, Armenia could have avoided
entering the [Russian-led] Customs Union. Armenia should have continued
to pursue a policy of complementarity, and become a pathway between
these two organizations,” Bozoyan said.
As per the political scientist, Armenian-Russian relations were
strategic in the 1990s, whereas they deteriorated in the 2000s.
The analyst expressed a conviction that, ten years ago, Armenia
accepted the fact that Russia was its strategic partner yet it was
trying to expand relations with western countries.
“Russia had a very negative attitude toward the [EU] Association
Agreement, as a result of which a doubt surfaced in Armenian-Russian
relations. Therefore [Armenia President] Serzh Sargsyan was compelled
to announce, in September of last year, about the [country’s] entry
into the Customs Union, so as not to lose its strategic partner,”
Yervand Bozoyan maintained.
Photo by Arsen Sargsyan/NEWS.am
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