Armenia: Customs Union Or DCFTA

Armenia: Customs Union Or DCFTA

18:59 22/12/2012
Story from Lragir.am News:

The spokesman for the head of the EU foreign policy chief Maja
Kocijancic presented the official stance of the EU on the possible
entry of Russia and other post-Soviet states into the Customs Union,
the Armenian service of RFE/RL informed.

The spokesman for Catherine Ashton avoided a direct comment on the
statement by the head of the EU Delegation to Armenia Trian Hristea
that Arrmenia needs to choose between the EU and the Eurasian Union.

`We are currently negotiating an Association Agreement together with a
Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade part,’ the official, Maja
Kocijancic, told RFE/RL in Brussels. `Armenia is free and sovereign to
enter into any agreement, including agreements with third countries.
Armenia’s membership in a free trade agreement with a third country
does not contradict the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement
(DCFTA) negotiations with the EU.’

`But if Armenia were to join any customs union, this would not be
compatible with concluding a bilateral Deep and Comprehensive Free
Trade Agreement between the EU and Armenia. Because a customs union
has a common external trade policy and an individual member country no
longer has sovereign control over its external trade policies,’
Kocijancic stressed.

From: Baghdasarian