Azernews.Az

By Mushvig Mehdiyev

Armenia plans to reopen its doors to Europe and benefit from the European advantages despite its membership at the Eurasian Economic Union.

The European Union is ready to resume talks over the Association Agreement with Armenia, but this time only the political chapter of the deal will be open for Armenia's signature, according to Armenian media.

Following the EU-Armenia Cooperation Council's fifteenth meeting on January 20, Johannes Hahn, EU Commissioner for Regional Policy, pledged further European support to Armenia.

Hahn wrote on his Twitter account: "Armenia can count on continued EU support to advance political and social reforms, and improve the protection of fundamental rights."

The Armenian side confirmed it as a decisive step towards enhancement and deepening of bilateral relations, while pinned its hope to a fast approval of the AA.

Hrant Kostanyan, Senior Analyst at the Center For European Policy Studies, called on the Armenian government to abandon hopes for a quick signing of the AA with the EU.

"An agreement, which envisages the signing of the political part of the agreement, is still to be signed. It seems, Armenia has not correctly interpreted the words by Hahn. No agreement has been reached and the option they offer is impossible," Kostanyan said.

He added that there is no concrete statement about the EU decision to ink the political chapter of the Association Agreement with Armenia.

Many experts believe that given Armenia's economic commitments under Eurasian Economic Union membership, the EU is cold to shake hands with the post-Soviet country for the full implementation of the AA.

"The EEU integration is not the only reason, whilst the EU will ignore the previous agreement to draft a completely new deal for Armenia," Kostanyan said. "Since Armenia has rejected the previous agreement, it should be replaced with a new one, which will obviously define the fields out of the scope of agreement," he noted.

Kostanyan further said if the negotiations started, they would focus on a new agreement and new procedure.

"Moreover, while the issue is completely clarified, 28 member-states of the EU should give a mandate to the European Commission and the Foreign Relations Council to kick off talks with Armenia," Kostanyan added.

NewEurope, a Brussels-based media outlet, says impoverished, Russia-dependent Armenia is the EU’s greatest disappointment.

The source claims that following the latest meeting of the EU-Armenia Cooperation Council the politicians in Brussels have immediately told Armenia that its membership in the EEU would be incompatible with the agreements negotiated with the EU.

Armenia's economy is heavily dependent on Russia, the country's largest foreign investor and trade partner, as well as the source of vital remittances sent to Armenia by migrant workers, according to NewEurope.

Armenia rejected to sign the Association Agreement with the EU in September 2013, when President Serzh Sargsyan surprisingly announced his intention to join the EEU, Russia-lead trade bloc, turning down the long-lasting negotiations with the European partners.

Now, Armenia is seemingly trying to bring back the European approximation on agenda, as the collapsing economy in Russia kills hopes for an economic prospect within the EEU. In other words, Armenia is now playing a make or brake game between its historical ally Russia and modern partner Europe.

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