This is an accelerated process - Khachatur Kokobelyan

Below is an interview with Chairman of the Free Democrats party Khachatur Kokobelyan.

- Mr Kokobelyan, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan participated in the meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council and asked for the process of Armenia’s accession to the Customs Union to be speeded up. Also, two stages of integration into the Eurasian economic area were reported.

- First, I consider the statement is a continuation of the process launched on September 3.

Secondly, it is common knowledge that, since September 3, we have stated our objection to the process, as, no matter how strongly it is advocated as a means of resolving Armenia’s security problems, it has not given us any new security guarantees. We should not forget that it is Armenia that is the most reliable security guarantee both for itself and for Nagorno-Karabakh. The most striking evidence thereof is the Belarusian president’s statement that, in the context of Armenia’s accession, the Customs Union must necessarily consider Azerbaijan’s position, as well as Russian officials’ statements on Nagorno-Karabakh. Just imagine, the president of a Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) member-nation states that the Customs Union must consider non-member Azerbaijan’s position in signing an agreement with Armenia. That is, we are speaking of strategic cooperation with Russia and other nations while they are not treating us as their strategic partners.

Thirdly, it is obvious that, when the visa facilitation process was launched in cooperation with the European Union (EU), the Customs Union speeded up the process of Armenia’s accession, as, according to previous statements, it was to be done in May 2014. However, the process is accelerating indeed. I link it to that process and I feel regret that we are not only speaking of the Customs Union, but are also moving toward an alliance which we consider unpromising. If that strategic alliance were capable of resolving all the major problems of our foreign policy and economic progress, we would not object to it. But we do not see such a process in this case.

- Mr Kokobelyan, by saying “accelerating” do you mean the aim is to torpedo the document on a new format, which is expected to be signed following the European Partnership summit in Vilnius, Lithuania?

- Of course, this ‘acceleration’ has to do with the Vilnius summit. The fact is that we do not have any tangible results with respect to the security system since that statement was made. At the same time, we lost our chance to draft an Association Agreement with the EU, which, I firmly believe, would have ensured the economic progress Armenia needs so much.
No matter, how many statements our government officials make at different levels, claiming their support for both the processes, life has once more proved it is not so. We have repeatedly stated that the ‘both…and’ policy does not work in this case.

- Following the Vilnius meeting, an EU official stated there would be a new document. Do you think Armenia may sign a document with the EU that would enable our country to have a lower status than Moldova and Georgia, but a higher status than Belarus and Azerbaijan?

- I do not think a serious document will be signed in Vilnius. I firmly believe that a document will be signed which will record the results of four-year negotiations and may serve as a basis for further negotiations, which, I think, will certainly take place. That is, the document in question is supposed to record the results – from legal reforms to government system reforms. I do not think a practical document will be signed in Vilnius.

- President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev made a statement on Turkey’s involvement in the Customs Union.

- His statement is one more proof that the problems of Armenia’s foreign relations and Nagorno-Karabakh are being ignored. Proponents of the Customs Union have always pointed out the problem of security and Turkish threats. In contrast to many, I do not think Armenia and Turkey will both be Customs Union members. But the nature of this alliance is of high importance. That is, what are rules the Customs Union members will have to observe? We see that most of Turkey’s official statements on the re-opening of border with Armenia mention Nagorno-Karabakh. Official Turkey is biased against Nagorno-Karabakh, which is our problem. It is obvious that we do not have any chance to be convinced that Armenia’s national interests are taken into consideration in the accession process.

- Do you imply that the accelerated process will worsen Yerevan’s relations with Brussels?

- I would not like to view your question from this aspect. But I am sure the development of Armenia-EU relations is not in Russia’s interests. Otherwise, they would not have put the question of Armenia’s accession to the Customs Union before the Vilnius summit. And no one can prove the opposite. High-ranking Russian officials stated and hinted Armenia would face problems if it signed an Association Agreement with the EU.

- What’s your opinion of the European Parliament’s resolution approved on Thurday?

- It should be noted it is a strong-worded resolution. It highlights three points: it condemns violence against political activists; it contains regret over President Serzh Sargsyan’s decision and notes that he made the decision without consulting the parliament or the public. Thus, the EU considers it a rash decision. And the third point highlights the Nagorno-Karabakh problem and contains a reference to the four UN resolutions and the OSCE Minsk Group’s statement in L'Aquila.

Different assessments have been and may yet be made. By and large, the aforementioned points can be said to have recorded the present situation. But I think that the EU’s regret itself is not in Armenia’s interests.