Armenia's decision to join Customs Union endangers its sovereignty, activists in Nagorno-Karabakh assert

On September 5, in Nagorno-Karabakh, a group of young people posted a statement in the social network "Facebook" in the group "Artsakhyaner". In their statement, young people have expressed their concern about the Armenia's decision to join the Customs Union (CU) initiated by Russia. The statement emphasizes that the decision "endangers the sovereignty of Armenia."

"Such decisions should be made only by means of wide public discussion with the use of the existing mechanisms for the expression of the people's will," notes the statement signed by 28 persons.

Commenting on the above statement, Vagram Atanesyan, Chairman of the Permanent Commission on Foreign Affairs of the National Assembly of Nagorno-Karabakh, has stated that he does not treat the statement as a manifest against Russia. According to his opinion, at present, the federal Russian model is not attractive. He added that he does not consider the statement of the activists as fulfilment of the will of a third state.

Vagram Atanesyan has stated that the Armenia's decision to join the Customs Union was also made due to the fact that the EU failed to provide firm security guarantee to Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.

He has also emphasized that the selection of the date of the accession to the Customs Union may depend on a variety of circumstances and development of the situation in the region.

It should be added that in Armenia, the decision to join the CU was opposed by the activists. At present, the civic group "Against Customs Union with Russia" plans to hold a protest action in Yerevan.