YEREVAN. – Responding to the query as to how he evaluates Armenia’s recent decision to join the Customs Union (CU), European Parliament member, British politician Charles Tannock specifically said the following to Zhamanak daily:   

“I am disappointed. The decision that Armenia will join the Eurasian Economic Union by becoming a CU member, in my view, rules out Armenia’s initialing the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area [DCFTA] agreement in Vilnius in November. 

“In this way, Armenia is making a strategic move by developing closer economic and political relations with Moscow, making Armenia’s joining the DCFTA with EU impossible.      

“This is Armenia’s decision, and I know that Armenia has been subjected to unprecedented pressures by Russia for this because Moscow has decided that they should serve as an obstacle to Eastern Partnership and the eastern region of the European Neighbourhood Policy.  

“I can see that Armenia had no choice under these circumstances and it had to do what Moscow wants because of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. But I believe this is a disgrace for Armenia and those efforts that were aimed at Armenia’s western orientation,” Zhamanak quotes.   

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.