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Armenia Faces The Music After Opting For Russia-Led Customs Union

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  • Armenia Faces The Music After Opting For Russia-Led Customs Union

    ARMENIA FACES THE MUSIC AFTER OPTING FOR RUSSIA-LED CUSTOMS UNION

    http://www.armenianow.com/news/48179/armenia_eu_moscow_customs_union_serzh_sargsyan_lit huania
    NEWS | 04.09.13 | 09:01

    Armenia has blocked its chances of signing a free trade deal with
    the European Union by choosing to join the Russia-led customs union,
    EU president Lithuania said Tuesday, commenting on President Serzh
    Sargsyan's announcement in Moscow.

    After talks with his Russian counterpart earlier on Tuesday Sargsyan
    said that Armenia has decided to join the Customs Union, currently
    including Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan, and later participate in
    the formation of the Eurasian Economic Union.

    "The EU respects the decision announced by the Armenian president in
    Moscow, but the two systems are incompatible," Lithuanian Foreign
    Minister Linas Linkevicius told AFP referring to Armenia's earlier
    aspirations to sign an Association Agreement and establish a Deep
    and Comprehensive Free Trade Area with the European Union.

    "We respect any choice of countries but they cannot enter both
    organizations at the same time because of different tariff
    requirements," said the official.

    In a separate statement on Tuesday, Linkevicius and seven other
    ministers from Nordic and Baltic countries warned against Russian
    pressure on post-Soviet states.

    "Any economic threat or political pressure directed against Eastern
    partners because of their European aspirations and engagement with
    the EU is unacceptable," they said.

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