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DIALOGUE WITH NEIGHBORS: ARMENIA IN TALKS WITH IRAN, GEORGIA AHEAD OF JOINING RUSSIAN-LED BLOC
ANALYSIS | 22.10.14 | 10:20
http://armenianow.com/commentary/analysis/57816/armenia_iran_georgia_relations_prime_minister_abra hamyan
By NAIRA HAYRUMYAN
ArmeniaNow correspondent
RELATED NEWS
Iran ready to assist Armenian initiatives, says President Rouhani
Armenia is trying to improve its relations with neighbors ahead of the
country's entry into the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) expected next
year. Two of Armenia's four neighbors - Turkey and Azerbaijan - are
blocking its communications, while the other two - Iran and Georgia -
do not yet know how their relations with Armenia are going to develop
after it becomes a member of the pro-Russian alliance.
Armenia has no borders with any of the current EEU member country
(Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan). The only transit route lies through
Georgia, which recently signed an association agreement with the
European Union. And although it is noted that the determination of
the two countries in different economic systems will not interfere
with trade and transit links, some problems still remain.
Armenian-Georgian bilateral talks are to be held soon to address the
problems that have emerged in the relations between the two South
Caucasus neighbors after their accessions to different blocs. This
was announced by Georgian Ambassador to Armenia Tengiz Sharmanashvili,
who talked to RFE/RL's Armenian Service earlier this week.
"There are some details that need to be clarified. It is for this
purpose that on November 11-12 Georgia's economy minister will visit
Yerevan so that we can thoroughly go through all these questions. I
suppose there will be no insurmountable issues in the agreements,"
the Georgian ambassador said.
Earlier, advisor to the president of Armenia Karine Minasyan, who
is expected to become a representative of Armenia to the Eurasian
Commission, said that Armenia will export products to the EEU countries
through Georgia without customs consequences - with Georgian transit
declaration and a special identification label. But the statement
of the Georgian ambassador shows that not all issues appear to have
been settled.
There is no certainty in the Armenian-Iranian relations either.
Armenian Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan met with Iranian President
Hassan Rouhani on Monday during his two-day official visit to the
Islamic Republic. Rouhani said that Iran is ready to assist the
initiatives of the Armenian side, as well as the implementation of
joint programs. In response, Premier Abrahamyan noted that Armenia's
membership in the EEU enables it to act as a link between the
EEU-member countries and foreign business circles.
This dialogue, which seems to be a bit strange, was taken by some
Armenian experts as delegation by Armenia of its rights to foreign
trade relations to the EEU, in other words, to Moscow. After joining
the EEU, Armenia will lose the right to carry out sovereign foreign
trade and customs policies, as it will be determined by the Eurasian
Council. It was not accidental that RFE/RL's correspondent asked the
Georgian ambassador whether Georgia and Armenia can resolve these
issues on their own without coordination with Brussels and Moscow. The
ambassador replied succinctly: "They can."
ANALYSIS | 22.10.14 | 10:20
http://armenianow.com/commentary/analysis/57816/armenia_iran_georgia_relations_prime_minister_abra hamyan
By NAIRA HAYRUMYAN
ArmeniaNow correspondent
RELATED NEWS
Iran ready to assist Armenian initiatives, says President Rouhani
Armenia is trying to improve its relations with neighbors ahead of the
country's entry into the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) expected next
year. Two of Armenia's four neighbors - Turkey and Azerbaijan - are
blocking its communications, while the other two - Iran and Georgia -
do not yet know how their relations with Armenia are going to develop
after it becomes a member of the pro-Russian alliance.
Armenia has no borders with any of the current EEU member country
(Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan). The only transit route lies through
Georgia, which recently signed an association agreement with the
European Union. And although it is noted that the determination of
the two countries in different economic systems will not interfere
with trade and transit links, some problems still remain.
Armenian-Georgian bilateral talks are to be held soon to address the
problems that have emerged in the relations between the two South
Caucasus neighbors after their accessions to different blocs. This
was announced by Georgian Ambassador to Armenia Tengiz Sharmanashvili,
who talked to RFE/RL's Armenian Service earlier this week.
"There are some details that need to be clarified. It is for this
purpose that on November 11-12 Georgia's economy minister will visit
Yerevan so that we can thoroughly go through all these questions. I
suppose there will be no insurmountable issues in the agreements,"
the Georgian ambassador said.
Earlier, advisor to the president of Armenia Karine Minasyan, who
is expected to become a representative of Armenia to the Eurasian
Commission, said that Armenia will export products to the EEU countries
through Georgia without customs consequences - with Georgian transit
declaration and a special identification label. But the statement
of the Georgian ambassador shows that not all issues appear to have
been settled.
There is no certainty in the Armenian-Iranian relations either.
Armenian Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan met with Iranian President
Hassan Rouhani on Monday during his two-day official visit to the
Islamic Republic. Rouhani said that Iran is ready to assist the
initiatives of the Armenian side, as well as the implementation of
joint programs. In response, Premier Abrahamyan noted that Armenia's
membership in the EEU enables it to act as a link between the
EEU-member countries and foreign business circles.
This dialogue, which seems to be a bit strange, was taken by some
Armenian experts as delegation by Armenia of its rights to foreign
trade relations to the EEU, in other words, to Moscow. After joining
the EEU, Armenia will lose the right to carry out sovereign foreign
trade and customs policies, as it will be determined by the Eurasian
Council. It was not accidental that RFE/RL's correspondent asked the
Georgian ambassador whether Georgia and Armenia can resolve these
issues on their own without coordination with Brussels and Moscow. The
ambassador replied succinctly: "They can."