Armenia could hardly join EU of recent years - Boris Navasardyan

ArmInfo. If the European Union remains the association it has been in recent years, then it will be almost impossible for Armenia to join this structure, President of the Yerevan Press Club (EPC) Boris Navasardyan told ArmInfo.

On March 9, in an interview with the Turkish TV channel TRT World, RA  Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said that the possibility of joining  the EU is being actively discussed in Armenia.

"The country has chosen a democratic path of development, and  Washington and Brussels support this," said the head of the Armenian  Foreign Ministry.

Meanwhile, as Navasardyan recalled, Armenia is a member of the  Eurasian Economic Union and participation in this regard in two  customs zones at once is practically impossible. "This simply cannot  happen, in any case, such a case has not happened in world practice,"  said the head of the YPC, adding that in the matter of rapprochement  between Yerevan and Brussels, it is necessary to focus on the basic  Agreement on Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership, many of the  provisions of which remain not even touched.

First of all, we are talking about the EU's promise to provide  Armenia with financial assistance in the amount of 2.6 billion euros  starting in the summer of 2021 for the implementation of five  strategic programs, of which, according to the current situation,  only 20% has been spent. "That is, the resource for expanding and  deepening relations with the EU is quite significant, which at a  certain stage can become the basis for submitting an application for  membership in the EU. But in parallel, the process of the country's  withdrawal from the Eurasian Economic Union should take place, but  there will be no movement in this direction there is no observation  from official Yerevan," the expert noted.

Answering the question about the possibility of even greater tension  in Armenian-Russian relations against this background, Navasardyan  pointed to the fact that this tension is already observed today. This  is reflected in trade and economic relations, when cargo with  Armenian goods is delayed at the Upper Lars checkpoint.

Nevertheless, the expert continued, the EAEU is, first of all, an  economic union of states, where everything should be built on the  basis of signed procedures, which Yerevan has not yet revised.  "But  this can happen if there is some kind of "road map" for the gradual  abandonment of the EAEU. Only when these intentions are visible will  it be possible to talk about replacing one integration project with  another. However, I repeat, this process is not happening at the  formal level. Between However, the process of joining the EU  presupposes the application of strict and complex obligations in  relation to each other. If the European Union remains as it is now,  with all the legal, economic, political and other features, then  there can be no talk of any processes, which may talk about Yerevan  joining the EU in the near future," Navasardyan emphasized.

At the same time, he pointed to the enormous prospects for deepening  relations with the EU, which are practically not used. Moreover, the  Russian Federation occupies a much larger place in Armenia's foreign  trade, and the share of the EU is decreasing, while Russia, on the  contrary, is increasing. Therefore, what is happening "on the ground"  does not indicate the country's prospects for membership in the EU.

Speaking about possible actions on the part of Moscow in response to  Yerevan's steps towards Europe, the expert noted that such  developments can always occur. "This can be seen with the naked eye.  There is powerful pressure on Armenia from Russia, especially in the  conditions of complete mutual understanding between Moscow and Baku,  which, without a doubt, is a factor extremely dangerous for the  security of Armenia. I think that now Russia is starting serious  games in military -political sphere in relation to Armenia, in order  to influence decision-making on the part of the political leadership  of our country. But all these possible steps have no relation to such  structures as the EAEU. These are still issues related to the topic  of security, which must distinguished from trade and economic  relations that underlie integration associations," Navasardyan said.   At the beginning of last week it was reported that Yerevan plans to  submit an application for Armenia's accession to the EU by the fall  of this year.