Tuesday, June 3 2014

 After accessing the Customs Union or Eurasian Economic Union, Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh will no longer have a single economic area, says David Shakhnazaryan, Director of Accord Center.

According to him, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev's statement on the need to verify the borders of Armenia before the country's accession to the EAU and to open a customs points between Armenia and NKR is nothing but the official stance of the EAU. "President Vladimir Putin could not make such statement, as he mediates the Karabakh conflict's peace talks. Therefore, the statement was made through his Kazakh counterpart," Shakhnazaryan says. The expert thinks Moscow is ready to pay any price to involve Azerbaijan into the Union, even by means of the Karabakh issue.  "Armenia is not a subject in that Union. Our membership is just a method to blackmail Baku - a country that insists on its stances and bargains to settle the Karabakh conflict in its favor," he says.

The expert claims the interests of Armenia and Russia do not meet, as Yerevan wants stability in the region, economic independence and strengthening of its statehood, while Russia wants quite the opposite. "At least, look at the constant militarization in the region by Russia. Moscow sells weapons to Baku, supplies arms to its military base in Yerevan and Gyumri, amid its mediation efforts for alleged peaceful resolution of the conflict," Shakhnazaryan says.  He casts doubt on Moscow's good intentions. He thinks Russia considers the Armenian public as "a living biological entity." "The Armenian public must prove that it has a right to choice and must stop the processes that lead to the loss of Armenia's sovereignty and  NKR's independence," he says.

President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev, said on 29 May in Astana Azerbaijan claims that Armenia can join the Eurasian Economic Union (EAU) within the same borders it joined the World Trade Organization (WTO).  "We have received the Azerbaijani president's letter saying that Armenia joined WTO with a reservation that the provisions must apply to the territory of Armenia within its international borders recognized by the UN. It is an issue for discussion," the Kazakh president said.