EU - Armenia: "Special Conditions"

• 03.20.2015, 15:53
•  Europe,  World,  Armenia

The European Union will develop "special conditions" for Armenia. In an interview with Radio Liberty Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn confirmed that the EU is working to develop new agreements for Armenia. In the discussions with the Armenian authorities conclusions were made on the basis of which, in the case of getting green light from the EU, they can start new talks with Armenia over an agreement.

The Commissioner expressed hope that this can happen at Riga Summit to take place in May. According to the EU Neighbourhood Policy, in case a country signed an agreement with other unions, such as, for example, the Customs Union and the Eurasian Economic Union, it can not sign an association agreement with the European Union. Will the EU change this principle, known to us as the principle of "either-or"?

Can the European Union give the countries that have signed an agreement with the other unions, an opportunity to be associated in the new format, to enter into a contractual relationship with the EU? In answer to these questions, the EU Commissioner Johannes Hahn said that they faced  such challenges for the first time in Armenia.

"For this reason, we held discussions and tried to figure out what can be done in these changed conditions, as well as identify areas of cooperation and the degree of its depth. If in this matter we get the support of the EU countries, this can mean that the European Union, unlike Russia, does not see the world in black and white colors," - Hahn said. "If the situation changes, then we must make sure that the new agreement is clearly different from the one agreed in the past," - he added.

The European Commissioner also commented on the new document presented by European Commission, which, according to analysts, takes into account the concerns of Russia and in a sense, is a departure from the EU Neighbourhood Policy.

"We once invited Russia to become a member, but Russia rejected the invitation, which we respect. We are now reviewing our long-years’ experience, and key elements of this review indicate that we have to accept that in our neighborhood we have neighbors which have other interests, other opportunities, other political room for maneuver. And we have to admit it," - Hahn said in his interview with Radio Liberty.

Thus, everything will be decided at Riga summit, which will be held on May 21-22. President of the host country of the summit, Latvia, Edgars Rinkēvičs gave a very symbolic name to the summit. As the holder of the rotating EU presidency  Rinkēvičs  called the Riga summit "a survival summit".