EU IS ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF ITS EASTERN NEIGHBORS
ArmInfo’s Interview with Poland’s Ambassador Extraordinary and
Plenipotentiary to Armenia Zdzislaw Raczynski
by Ashot Safaryan
Thursday, November 7, 02:21
Mr. Ambassador, unlike Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan are somewhat
skeptical about Armenia’s decision to join the Customs Union. How
viable is this structure if it has discrepancies about such an
important issue?
The integration processes initiated by Moscow in the post-Soviet area,
in particular, the Customs Union, are at the initial stage, and it
is early to make any final conclusions on their prospects. Let’s not
forget that, for instance, the European Union was being formed for 60
years, and it is being harmonized all the time and the contradictions
between the member-states of this structure are being covered up.
Do you think Brussels admits the Moscow-initiated integration process
in the post-Soviet area? For instance, many politicians and experts
blame the West for its attempts to control the ongoing processes here.
The Eurasian Union project has taken the machineries functioning in the
European Union as a sample, and this is the only analogy. The basis
of the European Union as a structure is a single system of values –
democracy, human rights respect and the machinery for functioning of
state and society. As for the Eurasian Union, it is not clear, what
ground this project should be formed on. Each nation is free to choose
its own development model and partners. Nobody is forcing the Eastern
Partners to join the EU. This is a complex and painful process. For
example, we applied for EU membership in 1994 and were admitted only
10 years later. It was a period of deep economic and legislative
reforms, a time when we mobilized all of our resources. Many people
forget that a free trade zone has been functioning at the territory
of the CIS since 1994, but numerous exclusions of the regime, in fact,
bring the signed agreement to naught. I think that the process of the
geo-political pluralization of this area, that is to say, formation
of independent states after the USSR split, is being accompanied with
deepening of differences between these states in economy, domestic
political system and other key sectors. In the EU as well there
are different states by size and influence. There is a “big six”
and smaller countries. Anyway, there was no such a dominating force
during formation of the European Union.
The same cannot be said about the supposed Eurasian Union, can it?
Certainly, there is no such a balance in case of the Russian project
of the Eurasian Union. Here the gap between Russia and the rest of
the potential participants in the project is very big, and it is
becoming bigger and bigger.
At one of your press conferences you have said that Poland will
continue supporting Armenia in the European Union. I wonder how you are
going to defend Yerevan after it has decided to join the Customs Union.
Armenia has a particular geographical position and an open economy.
Armenia’s accession to the Customs Union will be a long process.
Moreover, I share the opinion of some Armenian politicians saying
that economically it will be hard for Armenia to become a full
member of that Union. In the meantime, Armenia is a part of new
Eastern Europe and one of the EU’s important partners. One of the
reasons why Poland is somewhat biased about the Eastern Partnership
program and Armenia is that it is better aware of the post-Soviet
area than its Western European partners are. We believe that Western
and Central European countries are responsible for the development of
their closest neighbors. We have no geopolitical goals here but are
just trying to create an area that will be as close to us as possible.
You have mentioned that Armenia’s economy is open. As a diplomat of
an EU country, do you really see that open economy?
I mean Armenia’s economy is open to contacts with the surrounding
world, to the customs rates, mobility of Armenian entrepreneurs and
the possibility to invest. In practice, each country has its own
specificity, of course.
I remember your interview to one of Armenian newspapers. You criticized
the Armenian officials for the lack of the sense of statehood. With
this cohort at power, can the country conduct essential reforms under
the Association Agreement?
Let’s clarify the situation once and for all. These were not my
assessments, but certain quotes from Mr. Serzh Sargsyan’s speeches
about the atmosphere of impunity and the outrage of officials in
the country, including the speeches made at the congresses of the
ruling Republican Party of Armenia. I said that the President of the
country had made such assessments. Who knows the situation in the
country better than the President? But the same interview of mine
also highlighted the success Armenia had registered in freedom of
expression, rallies and demonstrations, as well as in improving the
general situation over the past few years. As for the officials…there
are various categories of officials, you know.
The team of the officials working at the Association Agreement enjoyed
deep respect and caused positive amazement among their European
partners. When the negotiations were launched, Armenia lagged behind
some other countries of Eastern Partnership. But Armenia worked out the
AA/DCFTA within 3 years. The completion of the talks was officially
announced in July 2013. This required big professionalism and good
teamwork. It is a very serious process and dozens of specialists from
Armenia and the EU took part in the negotiations. The process went
on very fast. Many experts did not even believe it would be possible
to agree such a big document in such a short period of time.
What will become of this document after all given the latest
developments?
I am sure that the results of the work done will not be lost. The
Agreement remains on the table and some time it will be needed again.
A political declaration will be signed in Vilnius.
What about the statements that the Armenian negotiators have failed
to publish the text of the document?
But is anyone in Armenia aware of the document of the Customs Union? I
think the slurs about some secret negotiations with the European Union
can be explained either by unawareness or by the malicious intent
against Armenia’s interests. The practice of negotiations does not
imply publishing the immense document at the stage of coordination
of the items and paragraphs. The Agreement was agreed in July, but
it was not initialed. The work at the Agreement would still be going
on before and after the Vilnius Summit. Initialing means that the
countries agree on the document and they start follow-up revision.
The matter concerned clear economic regulation, not common political
phrases. So, each word mattered. The document can be published after
being initialed. For instance, the document between the European
Union and Ukraine is already published because it has been initialed.
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