Armenia seeks to get closer to the EU, being Russia’s “vassal” – expert

Kyiv:  Azerbaijan has better prospects for developing relations with the European Union than Armenia. This was told in an exclusive interview with Front News International by former Georgian Ambassador to the Council of Europe Mamuka Zhgenti.

 

Front News: How can we now characterize the economic situation in the Republic of Armenia?

 

Mamuka Zhgenti: Armenia is dependent on Russia in many spheres. For example, if we take the sphere of energy, in fact, the country’s energy sector cannot be called independent, including gas supplies. Armenia does not produce it, it imports it. Entirely managed by Russia. Gazprom bought an internal state company … Therefore; Armenia itself did not have any opportunities to somehow influence the situation. The same situation applies to electricity. Last year, prices for light rose in Armenia. Because of the price increase in Armenia, there were strong unrest then, but this did not change anything. All this is also controlled by Russian state-owned companies.

 

FNI: What is the relationship between Armenia and the European Union?

 

M.Zh .: Armenia’s economic relations with the EU are radically different from the EU’s relations with Georgia, Moldova or Ukraine. Unlike Georgia, Armenia refused to sign the Association Agreement with the European Union. Therefore, the main document between Armenia and the EU is the agreement on joint partnership, which was signed back in the late 90s. But this year negotiations on a new agreement have ended, which is now more saturated than that agreement since the late 90’s.

 

FNI: What does the contract involve?

 

M.Zh .: It concerns the benefits of economic relations with the EU. But, of course, he will not give Armenia the same benefits and opportunities as, for example, the EU will provide Moldova, Ukraine and Georgia. Armenia agreed to smaller benefits, less obligations and rights, compared with Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine.

 

In the same energy sphere, for example, the EU does not have any opportunities to have normal economic relations with Armenia. The same goes for other areas of economic cooperation. There remain two areas: the development of democracy and cooperation, for example, with non-governmental organizations. But as far as I understand, there are also big problems there. The same organizations, for example, complain that a little information is provided to the new agreement both to the public and to the expert community, including non-governmental organizations.

 

FNI: When can a contract between Armenia and the EU be concluded?

 

M.Zh .: As far as I know, it was already initialed. The parties agreed on the text of the document. Now the treaty needs to be signed on both sides, and then the treaty must be ratified by both the parliament and the European Parliament. The parliaments of the EU member states must also approve the document. Now there is a conversation about when it will be signed, and when it comes into force. I do not think that this will happen before the end of the year. However, this agreement will nevertheless be an important step forward in the relations between Armenia and the European Union.

 

FNI: How much influence does Russia really prevent Armenia from building its economic policy with the EU?

 

M.Zh .: The fact is that Armenia is now trying to play on the “two fronts”, trying not to be completely “under Russia”, and not fully associated with the European Union. Currently, Armenia is a member of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), ie participant of the “Tashkent Treaty” – Ed.). Also, the country joined the Eurasian Union. Therefore, no matter how hard Armenia tries to work in both directions, it remains highly dependent on Russia.

 

We know that Armenia extended a few years ago and agreement with the Russian Federation on the presence of a military base in Armenia. The contract lasted until 2020, and was extended to 2045. Security and economic dependence issues make Armenia a vassal of Russia. Now they are trying to show as much as possible that this is not so. However, the real facts indicate Armenia’s lack of independence in many other spheres, both in the economy and social development.

 

FNI: How does Russia react to such steps of Armenia’s rapprochement with the European Union?

 

M.Zh .: Russia does not want to release spheres of its influence. For her, the policy of the far abroad is the main doctrine of foreign policy. Russia retains full control over Armenia, so it is not able to cooperate with the European Union, as it would be better for it.

 

FNI: What place does Russia play in the relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan?

 

M.Zh .: Here Russia plays a key destabilizing role in the Minsk process, which is the main format for the settlement of the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh. Thus, Armenia is a member of the JDC, which, from the position of the Russian side, is a counterbalance to NATO. At the same time, trying to increase its control over Armenia, Russia simultaneously flirts with Azerbaijan, selling weapons to it.

 

FNI: Does Azerbaijan have the same aspirations to get closer to the EU, like Armenia?

 

M.Zh .: I think that Azerbaijan has priorities for rapprochement with the European Union, but it may not so much as for Moldova and Ukraine. But this is still one of the main directions of Azerbaijan’s foreign policy. I see much more prospects for Azerbaijan and the European Union than for the EU’s relations with Armenia. In the situation with Azerbaijan, there is a freer range of issues that can be discussed without such commitments as Armenia. For example, Azerbaijan is not a party to the “Tashkent Treaty” or a member of the Eurasian Union. Therefore, it cannot be said that the leadership of Azerbaijan completely depends on the quirks or desires of the Kremlin.

 

FNI: Azerbaijan also builds a policy of “double standards” in relation to Russia?

 

M.Zh .: Azerbaijan has some kind of economic relations with Russia. But Azerbaijan has a more independent policy. It cannot be said that Azerbaijan, like Armenia, plays a bilateral game. Azerbaijan plays its game: it wants more or less normal relations with the Russian Federation, but it also tries to build better relations with the European Union. At the same time, Azerbaijan wants to conduct an independent, but not 100% European domestic policy. Domestic policy in this case determines the foreign policy of the country.

 

If Azerbaijan’s integration into the EU lags behind Georgia or Moldova, this is not justified by Russia’s influence. I think, in this case, the role is played by internal causes relating to human rights and the process of democratization. This is more important for Azerbaijan than the pressure of Russia.

 

Azerbaijan has other issues. Not because Russia dictates the conditions there, but because the Azerbaijani leadership has its own foreign policy.

 

Earlier, on July 10, Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian stated that successful cooperation with the European Union contributed to the process of constitutional reform and parliamentary elections held in Armenia in April 2017.

 

It should be reminded that on March 21 Armenia and the European Union 21 initialed a new framework agreement on a comprehensive and expanded partnership.

 

Anastasia Svetlevskaya