Manucharyan: West seeks to cancel Armenia's choice in favour of CU

According to Ashot Manucharyan, the former chief adviser on national security issues to the president of Armenia, the West today seeks to "twist back" the choice made by Armenia in favour of the Customs Union (CU). In their turn, activists of the opposition parties believe that this choice was made under Russia's pressure.

Let us remind you that the Armenian-European Union (EU) talks on signing an Association Agreement began back in 2010. However, on September 3, 2013, in Moscow, at a meeting of Serzh Sargsyan and Vladimir Putin, a joint declaration was made about Armenia's intent to join the CU of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan. According to the European party, this decision is contrary to the principles of the Armenian-EU Association Agreement between.

On November 29 in Vilnius, Armenia and the EU expressed their intention to update the plan of joint actions within the framework of the Eastern Partnership.

Armenia should maintain good relations both with the EU and Russia, Ashot Manucharyan said on November 27 at a press conference.

"The Armenia's decision to join the CU was not our deal. The events around CU and the Association Agreement with the EU should be considered in light of the confrontation between Anglo-Saxons and Russia. Actually, Armenia hasn't yet said its word; and this word means that our country cannot be in one system, and be at enmity with the other. Armenia is a country of matching, not the territory of confrontation," said Manucharyan, referring to Armenia's chances to join the CU.

Armenia, which has its Diasporas around the world, should use this potential for reconciliation of opposing world centres and rapprochement of their interests, he said.

Russia seeks to restore its geopolitical influence in the former Soviet space; and for this purpose is trying to establish control over Azerbaijan, said Ashot Manucharyan.

However, Azerbaijan, he believes, is today more "under Anglo-Saxon and Israeli influences."

"Decision to join CU was made under Russia's pressure"

The Armenia's decision to join the CU was also commented on during a briefing on November 27 by Alexander Arzumanyan, the former Foreign Minister and now an MP from the "Heritage" parliamentary faction.

"It's a pity that this decision was made under Russia's pressure, which is a threat to our national security. In this case, the message from Vilnius should imply that the EU does not stop the process, in spite of anything. Unfortunately, in this process of geopolitical restructuring, we are losing the ability to manoeuvre," said Alexander Arzumanyan.

Along with that, he pointed to the "inadmissibility of hostility towards Russia."

The EU and Armenia are committed to continue the process of cooperation and rapprochement, said Ovannes Saakyan, the secretary of the faction of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia.

"Some of our opponents express pessimism after September 3, but Europeans said they would continue the process with us," the politician said during the above briefing held on November 27.

According to Saakyan, close cooperation with Russia had been chosen by Armenia since the country acquired its independence.

"We need to understand the way where we go, but 22 years ago we chose this way. It was not today, and not yesterday that the president chose it, it was probably made by the first president," said Saakyan.

"Sargsyan gave Russia a mandate to rule Armenia"

David Shakhnazaryan, the head of the Centre for Political Studies named "Concord", said at a press conference on November 26 that after September 3, when Serzh Sargsyan announced Armenia's intention to join the CU, the country " has moved to a completely different stage," which "has become the most fatal in the whole history of its independence."

"Having proclaimed that our country is joining the CU, Serzh Sargsyan provided Russia with a mandate to rule Armenia. I've pointed out many times that joining the CU is an unconstitutional move, because by doing so Armenia will lose its sovereignty and become part of the Russian Empire," Shakhnazaryan has expressed his confidence.

Vagarshak Arutyunyan, the former Armenian Defence Minister, disagreed with Shakhnazaryan.

"I can tell you for sure that the USSR will not recover even with a great desire; while integration or deepening the relations has some logic. How has it happened that our all three presidents were and are supporters of deep integration with Russia? That is, this integration is based on the interests of Armenia and is objective in its nature," the edition named "Tert.am" quotes Vagarshak Arutyunyan as saying on November 26.

According to Arutyunyan, after the statement of the Armenian president about joining the CU, "the probability of restart of Karabakh War has dropped sharply."

On November 25, Novruz Mamedov, the Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration of Azerbaijan, said that his country had no intention to become an associate member of the EU. In its turn, Georgia in Vilnius initialled its Association Agreement with the EU.

The summit of the Eastern Partnership held in Vilnius has deepened the contradictions existing in Southern Caucasus, the author of the blog Veter s Apsherona (Wind from Apsheron) run on the "Caucasian Knot" believes.

"Georgia will rapidly bring its laws and external public manifestations to the NATO-European standards; Azerbaijan will continue its mid-European policy line that is convenient for the country's corrupt elite; while Armenia has turned from promising good neighbour and partner into a Russia's gendarme in the Caucasus. Anyway, this will be the case under the power of Sargsyan and his followers," the blogger wrote in his today's post "Reverse side of Vilnius: no peace in Southern Caucasus".