Thursday, March 27 2014

If Ukraine joined the Customs Union, it would experience an economic growth for the coming 5-7 years. Afterwards, it would face a period of standstill, said Igor Roman, Advisor at the Ukrainian Embassy in Armenia, speaking at a Roundtable on Ukraine organized by the Armenian Center of National and International Studies (ACNIS) in Yerevan, Thursday.

"We realize that accession to the Customs Union would help developing our aviation industry, many big enterprises that are closely connected with the Russian economy, especially the industrial facilities in the east of the country. One can speak of the huge market of the Customs Union. However, such situation would last no longer than 5-7 years. Afterwards, the EU economy would advance while we would stand still together with Russia," Roman said. This is what led the people to the Maidan.

The diplomat said that by data of public opinion polls conducted in 2011, only 30% of the people supported European integration, while today, nearly 70% of Ukrainians strive for Europe, these are mostly students, representatives of SMEs. 

"Russian TV channels vehemently say that fascists and the Banderovs have come to power in Ukraine. This is not true. Such statements are utmost cynicism and impudence. Euromaidan would not win, but for the support of the Kyev residents, who are neither fascists nor nazis, but representatives of small and medium-sized enterprises, bank officers, who went to work in the mornings and to the Maindan in the evenings. It is the Kyev residents that won and overthrew the authorities. Those authorities had been telling us that we are going to Europe for three years and turned off the path at the last moment," Igor Roman said.