Prosperous Armenia MP expects explanations for Armenia’s decision in favor of Customs Union

In an interview with Tert.am, Secretary of the Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) parliamentary group, Chairwoman of the European Integration Commission, Parliament of Armenia, Naira Zohrabyan commented on Armenia’s decision to join the Customs Union. She also answered the question as to whether the issue of Armenia’s initialing an association agreement with the European Union (EU) can be considered closed. Before expressing her opinion she needs information on official Yerevan’s position. However, officials of Armenia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs have not answered her calls. She is critical of this behavior.
 
- Mrs Zohrabyan, was not the statement on Armenia’s membership in the Customs Union unexpected? What are its political and economic consequences?

- I think that questions should be addressed to the officials responsible for Armenia’s foreign policy rather than to political forces. The questions should be addressed to the ones that have been conducting negotiations over the association agreement and a deep and comprehensive free trade area agreement. As a citizen, Parliament member and Chairwoman of the European Integration Commission, I would like to get answers to the following questions:

First, in his interview with Komerstant, Armenia’s Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan stated that the international practice has no precedent of a country joining a customs union without having common borders with the union member-states; second, Armenia’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Shavarsh Kocharyan stated quite recently that Armenia joining the Customs Union meant losing its sovereignty.

So I want to receive the answers. I do not think that evading questions is the right and honest answer. I think that the public must be clearly informed of what happened within the next few days. I am going to apply to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials who negotiate on the association agreement. They must come and provide explanations to Parliament if, of course, they are informed of anything at all. First of all, we need it to make a sober assessment of the situation and state our position. If they do not provide the explanations for what happened and why it happened, what Armenia’s benefits are, it would be illogical to expect political forces’ response now. My conclusion is that we can regard as closed the issue of a deep and comprehensive free trade area agreement. As to the association agreement, we need clear information.

- Mrs Zohrabyan, in response to a recent question about the PAP’s position on the association agreement, you said that you would present it. Now that, according to some forecasts, the process has got under way…

- I said that we would present our position after getting familiarized with the content. My answer still holds good. When we receive clear information on the content of the association agreement - if the agreement will be initialed on November 21 (although it will supposedly not be initialed) and the issue of the free trade section can be considered closed as running counter to the Customs Union Rules – we will be able to state our position.

- If you consider a retrospective view of the association agreement impossible, can you present your view of the possibility of joining the Customs Union?

- I am unaware of what kind of structure the Customs Union is going to be. I do not think anyone is well-informed. It is the same story. I say again that the political forces and Parliament must be provided with clear information on Armenia’s possible benefits and losses from joining the Customs Union.