home

news

banks

cultural

criminal

dipcourier

products

subscribe

TORBEN HOLTZE: ARMENIA CAN BE ADMITTED TO THE EUROPEAN UNION

Last autumn, Mr Torben Holtze was appointed head of the European Commission's representation in Armenia and Geogria, Ambassador of the European Union with residence in Tbilisi. The ARMINFO news agency was the first from among the Armenian mass media to interview Mr. Toben Holtze.

Q: Today the European Union, which unites 15 countries, has many attributes of statehood, such as common government bodies, currency, citizenship, etc.. Does it mean that in the foreseeable future the EU may declare the formation of a centralized state?

A: This issue will be discussed during the next six months. A special body, the Interstate Conference, has been formed, which has been instructed to elaborate proposals concerning the EU's future status and its outlines. The European Commission's new structure will also be determined, which will be different from the present one. The Conference will also discuss issues of coordinating the activities of the departments in charge of foreign policy.

I find it difficult to forecast the results of its work. There is a plan of forming a European body similar to the US Senate, where each EU member will sent two or three of its representatives, and the European Parliament will be an equivalent of the US congress with the number of deputies proportional to the population of the member-countries. Then the European Commission's activities will be restricted to the functions of executive power.

For the present, these are only proposals. The admission of new members will require amendments to the EU's constitution. Some problems may arise, as a number of countries are for a federative structure, but there are proponents of confederation as well.

Q: It is no secret that further eastward expansion may result in a decline in living standards in the countries that are already EU member?

A: You are right, but it is to prevent this process that the term of bringing the applicant-countries to conformity with the requirements to the EU full members is set. They have to carry out economic, social and legislative reforms to meet the European standards. Nevertheless, the admission of new members threatens to reduce the living standards in the EU member-countries.

This medal has the reverse side. Some countries were very poor before their admission to the EU, and now they are among the richest members of the organization. For instance, Ireland, Portugal.

Q: What programs is the Eu implementing in Armenia?

A: The European Union began rendering assistance to Armenia after the country declared its independence in 1991. Over the past ten years your country has received grants worth about 300mln. Euro. True, as a result of the crisis early in 1990s, 40%-50% of these funds Armenia received as humanitarian assistance. In course of time, the emphasis was shifted to the assistance to development, in particular, to the implementation of administrative and economic reforms.

In 1996, the European Union launched a program of food supply to Armenia, under which food products are supplied, marketing is carried out and assistance is rendered to socially vulnerable sections of population. 51mln. Euro have already been spent here, and 10-11mln. Euro are annually allocated.

One of the most important tasks for the European Union is the security of the Armenian nuclear power plant (NPP). It became an object of special attention immediately after its re-operation in 1995. Now our task is to help Armenia to shut down the plant as economically and technically outdated. The Armenian NPP's efficiency is reducing, whereas its ecological danger is increasing. Of course, very cheap energy is being generated here today, but further operation increases the costs necessary for shutting it down. All the residents of the region must be concerned with the plant's shutdown, as Armenia is located in a zone of seismic danger. A huge-scale disaster may occur in case of an earthquake.

Armenia's authorities are known to have assumed a commitment to shut down the NPP. The term of the shutdown is currently under discussion, but, to speed up this process, the European Union and the Armenian government established a fund for creating alternative sources of energy. We promised to allocated 100mln. Euro for this purpose. Such a decision was made at the latest meeting of the EU Foreign Ministers' Council. The Armenian ministry of Energy is currently elaborating proposals for using the means of the fund. They can be spent on the construction of hydro-electric power stations, enhancement of the efficiency of electric power networks, laying of new gas mains.

Q: What is your assessment of the efficiency of the implementation of the TACIS program in Armenia, and what are its prospects?

A: Numerous successful projects were implemented under TACIS in Armenia. However, there are some which, to put it mildly, proved not very efficient. But, by and large, the role of this program is most important. I would single out the administrative reforms, which allow Armenia to rise to the international level of market relations and legislative structure.

The next goal of TACIS in Armenia will be assisting in improving the system of higher education in Armenia. During my visit to Yerevan I held a meeting with Minister of Education of Science Levon Mkrtichian. I was astonished and upset by the information on the sad state of higher education in today's Armenia. But in Soviet times this sphere was considered one of the best here, even by the western standards.

For instance, the minister said that students constitute only 2% of the country's population now, which is a very low figure. At the same time, as many as 800 educational establishments are registered in Armenia. Of course, the level of most of them is too low. Yes, and the number of state-owned higher schools, 25, is too high for such a small country as Armenia. As a result, the funds allocated for higher education are scattered.

This sphere is obviously lacking reforms. At the negotiations with the Armenian government we decided to fund the first stage of the research which will determine the best way of remedying the situation. Before reforms, the situation with privately-owned higher schools should be put in order. If, of course, Armenia does not want to have such universities as in Texas, where an application with a hundred dollars is enough to get a diploma.

Q: Mr Ambassador, in 1996 Armenia and the EU signed a treaty of partnership and cooperation, which was ratified and took effect in July 1999. Are you satisfied with the course of its implementation?

A: The joint bodies set up within the framework of the treaty: the council, the expert commitees and the interparliament group work quite effectively. They hold annual meetings. The council usually meets in Strasbourg at the ministerial level; the committees meet by turns in Yerevan and Brussels. These meetings are very important for a fruitful political and economic dialogue between the EU and Armenia.

Q: Armenia's President Robert Kocharyan has many a time stated that the cooperation with the EU is one of Armenia's foreign policy priorities. Do you think it real for Armenia to join the EU at least in the far future or will our relations be limited to tight cooperation?

A:As a matter of principle Armenia is a European country and like other European states it has the right to be a EU member provided that it meets necessary standards and criteria. The European Parliament noted Jan 12 2002 that Armenia and Georgia may enter the EU in future. Many official documents contain this wording.

Q: Armenia may need some 20-30 years to do that.

A: I am more optimistic. Had anybody asked me ten years ago if Estonia and Latvia had chances to become EU members I would give a negative answer. But this is going to happen already next year.

The main criterion for me is economic and social development. And here it's very important to settle your conflict with Azerbaijan as well as to solve problems with Turkey. Unless you attain that you'll face great difficulties in improving the investment climate.

Q: In its time the EU proposed that a large package of investment projects should be implemented in Armenia and Azerbaijan in case the Karabakh conflict is settled. Is this proposal still in force?

A: Of course, this proposal is in force. EU representatives reiterated it at the sitting of the bilateral council for cooperation and partnership last year's Nov. We go on reiterating this initiative with respect to Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Q: Can the EU influence Turkey, seeking to become a EU member, into lifting the transport blockade of Armenia?

A: One can observe progress in the Armenia-Turkey relations. Armenia's Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanyan has many a time declared Armenia's readiness to start a dialogue and even pointed to the country's attempts to undertake practical steps. One might think that Armenia has softened its position regarding its problems with Turkey. This issue has been discussed many times at sittings of the EU Foreign Ministers Council and the European Parliament. The EU has an influence on Turkey and will try to use it to settle the problems between Armenia and Turkey, which will meet the interests of both these two countries and the EU.

Q: Is there any evidence of Turkey's attempt to soften its attitude towards Armenia?

A:Turkey's attitude is even tougher today. But in fact Armenia wants not so very much. I suppose the question merely is about Turkey's recognition of the Armenian Genocide rather than about apologies, let alone compensations. There is a historical fact and it should be recognized. I believe the EU is capable of helping the parties find common grounds.

22 Junuary, 2002
Aleksandr Melkumyan, ARMINFO