Armenia’s membership to EurAsEc remains uncertain. On August 8, the president of Armenia will leave for Moscow to meet his Russian colleague. Among the questions awaiting a discussion there is also the issue of membership to EurAsEc.
It is uncertain whether it will be possible to resist to Russian pressures and not become the member of EurAsEc or not. “1in.am News and Analysis” had an interview with the head of “Analytic center of Globalization and Regional Cooperation” Stepan Grigoryan on this account.
Stepan Grigoryan said that the creation of such a union has an aim of strengthening Russia’s influence on post-soviet region. “It is not efficient for Armenia to become a part of Eurasian Union as it does not border on the probable member-countries of the Union- Kazakhstan, Belarus, Ukraine, Russia. If there is no privilege of tax and custom field, I don’t understand the essence of joining”, elaborated Stepan Grigoryan.
He went on saying that the countries that establish such unions spend lots of money as in case EU, when France, Germany, Italy, UK spent a lot of money and did a great job.
In connection with Eurasian Union, Russia will take up this role.
To the question why it is profitable for Russia to create such union, he answered that it needs to distract the attention from Europe, where countries like Armenia, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Moldova can find education, science and new technologies.
Steapn Grigoryan does not exclude the possibility of pressures on Armenia.
“There are obvious pressures on Ukraine. But in case of Armenia I do not expect it. We have a small country. On political account Russia does need our voice, but it is obvious that in economic sense we are not so interesting”,he explained.
Such pressures may be vividly expressed especially during coming presidential elections. “Russia can assist the candidate who will agree that Armenia will become a member of Eurasian Union. But I don’t think that this will have a great influence. Russia does not have serious levers in Armenia. It does not have serious capital here. And the candidates themselves will not dare to go to such contracts. They can speak about it in pre-electoral campaign, but no concrete answer will be given”.
