YEREVAN. – Signing of the Association Agreement between Armenia and the European Union (EU) will allow Armenia to make use of new strategic opportunities. 

Regional Studies Center Director, political analyst Richard Giragosian stated the aforesaid during a roundtable discussion on Thursday. He also pointed to four specific opportunities.   

“First, this is an opportunity for the European Union itself. This association would give the EU a lever to push the democratic developments in Armenia further. The second opportunity is for Armenia which, under the conditions of future isolation, would have a chance for greater integration. The third opportunity is directly for the region, since the EU offers regional stability. And the fourth [opportunity] is very interesting for Russia itself, since the existence of an advanced Armenia is in the best interests of Russia, too,” Giragosian specified.

He added, however, that all this is a serious threat to the oligarchic economy. In the analyst’s conviction, Armenia has no alternative but making reforms.  

“The economic status quo [in Armenia] is convenient to some businessmen, but destructive for the country. The oligarchs do not realize that their strength and ability are slowly fading, or they will realize [this] in the end, when it will be too late. This is an opportunity that Armenia cannot afford to miss,” Richard Giragosian stressed.