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POLITICAL EXPERT: ARMENIA IS NOT SHORT OF SUPPORTERS IN EU
arminfo
Wednesday, January 25, 14:40
Armenia is not short of supporters in the European Union thanks
to both the Diaspora organizations and other ways to involve EU
institutions. The country's historical and cultural image looks
relatively favorable in Europe. Marat Terterov, Director of the
European Geopolitical Forum, political expert (Brussels), said in an
on-line interview with ArmInfo.
Interviews with experts and political figures from various countries
for Armenian, Azerbaijani and Georgian mass media on the relevant
problems of security and NATO's role in their resolution are organized
within the project "Security of South Caucasus and NATO". The project
of the "Region" Research Center (Armenia) is supported by the NATO
Headquarters Public Diplomacy Division (Brussels).
"As part of the Yerevan-Brussels Agreement of Partnership and
Cooperation, Armenia has an opportunity to use various financial
and other assistance projects coordinated by Brussels. EU is trying
to more integrate Armenia into the European institutional space
through the Association Agreement, documents on free trade or other
instruments. I suppose these forms of cooperation will be continued,
for most of these projects are part of compulsory inter-governmental
agreements," Terterov said. The political expert believes that
crisis in the Eurozone seriously affects the EU countries rather than
their relations with the countries bordering with the Caucasus. It
will have much serious impact on the EU than the countries like
Armenia. Nevertheless, the crisis affects general sentiments in
Brussels and perspectives leading the policy bodies in Brussels to
certain pessimism. This means, he said, that Brussels will no longer
try to increase the budget or establish new forms of institutional
cooperation in the Caucasus. "I don't think, however, that the crisis
will have any direct impact on the EU Eastern Partnership Project.
Revision of the fiscal aid scales to the six partner-states involved
in the Project is not possible either. The aid is already being paid
by donor-states. But the crisis may have a negative impact in future,"
Terterov said.
The EU Eastern Partnership Project was initiated by Poland and
Sweden and approved by 27 countries of EU at a summit in Brussels
in December 2008. The program envisages considerable raising of the
level of political cooperation, wide integration of former Soviet
republics Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Moldavia, Belarus and Ukraine
into EU economy, increasing volumes of financial support to them and
strengthening energy security. The program also envisages allocation
of 600 mln EUR to these 6 countries by 2013. The Constituent Summit
of the EPP was held on may 7 2009 in Prague.
arminfo
Wednesday, January 25, 14:40
Armenia is not short of supporters in the European Union thanks
to both the Diaspora organizations and other ways to involve EU
institutions. The country's historical and cultural image looks
relatively favorable in Europe. Marat Terterov, Director of the
European Geopolitical Forum, political expert (Brussels), said in an
on-line interview with ArmInfo.
Interviews with experts and political figures from various countries
for Armenian, Azerbaijani and Georgian mass media on the relevant
problems of security and NATO's role in their resolution are organized
within the project "Security of South Caucasus and NATO". The project
of the "Region" Research Center (Armenia) is supported by the NATO
Headquarters Public Diplomacy Division (Brussels).
"As part of the Yerevan-Brussels Agreement of Partnership and
Cooperation, Armenia has an opportunity to use various financial
and other assistance projects coordinated by Brussels. EU is trying
to more integrate Armenia into the European institutional space
through the Association Agreement, documents on free trade or other
instruments. I suppose these forms of cooperation will be continued,
for most of these projects are part of compulsory inter-governmental
agreements," Terterov said. The political expert believes that
crisis in the Eurozone seriously affects the EU countries rather than
their relations with the countries bordering with the Caucasus. It
will have much serious impact on the EU than the countries like
Armenia. Nevertheless, the crisis affects general sentiments in
Brussels and perspectives leading the policy bodies in Brussels to
certain pessimism. This means, he said, that Brussels will no longer
try to increase the budget or establish new forms of institutional
cooperation in the Caucasus. "I don't think, however, that the crisis
will have any direct impact on the EU Eastern Partnership Project.
Revision of the fiscal aid scales to the six partner-states involved
in the Project is not possible either. The aid is already being paid
by donor-states. But the crisis may have a negative impact in future,"
Terterov said.
The EU Eastern Partnership Project was initiated by Poland and
Sweden and approved by 27 countries of EU at a summit in Brussels
in December 2008. The program envisages considerable raising of the
level of political cooperation, wide integration of former Soviet
republics Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Moldavia, Belarus and Ukraine
into EU economy, increasing volumes of financial support to them and
strengthening energy security. The program also envisages allocation
of 600 mln EUR to these 6 countries by 2013. The Constituent Summit
of the EPP was held on may 7 2009 in Prague.