YEREVAN. – “The Armenian society had barely gotten accustomed to the Moscow bad news [i.e., Armenia’s wish to join the Customs Union], the PM announced in Beijing about joining the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).”

“Is this the modern-day complementary diplomacy? Wherever you go, you join that union,” opposition MP and former FM Alexander Arzumanyan asked rhetorically at the National Assembly.    

He also stated that the decision to join the Customs Union is contrary to the Armenian Government programs, since the latter point solely to CIS and deepening relations with Europe, and there is nothing on the Customs Union.     

As per Arzumanyan, the Government must either submit a new program, or a resignation.  

Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian responded by noting that Armenia will not join SCO, but it rather wishes to have an observer status in this organization. 

As for the September 3 announcement with respect to joining the Customs Union, Nalbandian said when the Government program was being introduced, a working group was established to examine the format for joining the Customs Union.

As per Armenia’s FM, the specialists, political scientists and analysts came to the conclusion that membership in the Customs Union is feasible, albeit the respective obstacles were being spoken about in the past.

To note, as a result of the talks that were held on September 3 in Moscow between Armenian and Russian Presidents Serzh Sargsyan and Vladimir Putin, Sargsyan announced that Armenia plans to join the Customs Union and subsequently engage in the formation of the Eurasian Economic Union.