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ARMENIA NEEDS TO DECIDE THE FORMAT OF INTERACTION WITH EURASIAN UNION PROJECT BEFORE 2015
YEREVAN, January 23, /ARKA/. A Russian historian Alexei Vlasov,
who is also head of North-South think-tank, urged today Armenian
authorities to launch a series of public debates to find out whether
the citizens want their country to be part of the planned Eurasian
Union before 2015 when Russia and several other former Soviet republics
are expected to sign Eurasian Economic Union agreement.
Speaking to journalists in Yerevan he said sooner or later Armenia
will have to decide upon this and public debates are the best way to
find out the best development vector for Armenia.
"It is up to Armenia to make the final decision. Love can not be
compelled, but Armenia needs to formulate its strategic objectives
and to do so it must decide its development vector,' he said.
He said one of the main obstacles to form a clear-cut position on
integration processes across the Eurasian space is the ideology issue
which is to be used as the basis for prospective Union.
"I think it is the absence of common value guidelines that creates
a tension. We still do not understand fully one another - neither on
civil society level nor on political elites level,' he said.
Aram Safarian, head of an NGO called Integration and Development,
argued that Armenia's European and Eurasian integration processes
are not in conflict.
"I am deeply convinced that Armenia can build a European-styled
society being at the same time part of the Collective Security Treaty
Organization (CSTO), which is part of the Eurasian geopolitical space,"
Safarian said.
He said Armenia is Russia's ally, and, thus, part of the national
and regional security, led by Russia in the common defense space.
"We may sign a trade treaty with Europe to have our country integrated
into European markets, as well as an agreement for closer Eurasian
integration on the post-Soviet space," Safarian said.
He said the consensus on these issues can be found as a result
of in-depth public discussions. He recalled that Russian president
Vladimir Putin said in March 2012 that Russia will build the Eurasian
Union and maintain close relations with the EU at the level of
strategic partnership. This position of Russia removes the controversy,
he said.
In this context, he noted that in the case of passivity and the refusal
to accept the challenges of the West and Russia, Armenia may face a
third alternative to become part of the Middle East. -0-
YEREVAN, January 23, /ARKA/. A Russian historian Alexei Vlasov,
who is also head of North-South think-tank, urged today Armenian
authorities to launch a series of public debates to find out whether
the citizens want their country to be part of the planned Eurasian
Union before 2015 when Russia and several other former Soviet republics
are expected to sign Eurasian Economic Union agreement.
Speaking to journalists in Yerevan he said sooner or later Armenia
will have to decide upon this and public debates are the best way to
find out the best development vector for Armenia.
"It is up to Armenia to make the final decision. Love can not be
compelled, but Armenia needs to formulate its strategic objectives
and to do so it must decide its development vector,' he said.
He said one of the main obstacles to form a clear-cut position on
integration processes across the Eurasian space is the ideology issue
which is to be used as the basis for prospective Union.
"I think it is the absence of common value guidelines that creates
a tension. We still do not understand fully one another - neither on
civil society level nor on political elites level,' he said.
Aram Safarian, head of an NGO called Integration and Development,
argued that Armenia's European and Eurasian integration processes
are not in conflict.
"I am deeply convinced that Armenia can build a European-styled
society being at the same time part of the Collective Security Treaty
Organization (CSTO), which is part of the Eurasian geopolitical space,"
Safarian said.
He said Armenia is Russia's ally, and, thus, part of the national
and regional security, led by Russia in the common defense space.
"We may sign a trade treaty with Europe to have our country integrated
into European markets, as well as an agreement for closer Eurasian
integration on the post-Soviet space," Safarian said.
He said the consensus on these issues can be found as a result
of in-depth public discussions. He recalled that Russian president
Vladimir Putin said in March 2012 that Russia will build the Eurasian
Union and maintain close relations with the EU at the level of
strategic partnership. This position of Russia removes the controversy,
he said.
In this context, he noted that in the case of passivity and the refusal
to accept the challenges of the West and Russia, Armenia may face a
third alternative to become part of the Middle East. -0-