Armenia should join the Eurasian Economic Union under special mode

Serzh Sargsyan’s decision to make Armenia a member of the Customs Union on September 3 aims to ensure the security of Armenia and Artsakh, Sergey Minasyan, Deputy Director of the Caucasus Institute, said on Friday during a Moscow-Yerevan space bridge on The European Union v the Eurasian Union: Armenia's Choice, 2014” at the Novisty Press Club. Mr Minasyan called the attention of his Russian colleagues to the fact that Armenian should join the Eurasian Economic Union under special terms. “I am not sure that the custom mechanisms that operate in the Eurasian Economic Union can produce the desired effects in case of Armenia. Armenia can become a burden for other countries, therefore, I believe that Armenia’s accession should be realized in a special mode,” he said. In reply, Oleg Naginsky, an expert in the sphere of Eurasian integration, said the Eurasian Economic Union is an economic unit and only economic issues can be put under consideration there. “All issues related to the Nagrno Karabakh conflict are to be solved within the framework of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). Up to this moment, Armenia has not ratified or adopted a legislative package required for its full membership to the Customs Union and Eurasian Economic Union. You cannot join them partly. It is time your parliament set up a body to deal with the membership issues.” Mher Shahgeldyan, a lawmaker of the Rule of Law Party (OEK) was quick enough to respond to Oleg Naginsky. “It was not Armenia that raised and pushed forward Karabakh-related issues on the path of its accession to the Eurasian Economic Union.”