Armenia stands ready to “discuss and amend” those provisions of the documents to be signed in Vilnius that conflict with the Customs Union. 

Armenian National Assembly (NA) Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan told the aforesaid, on Monday in Belgian capital Brussels, to RFE/RL Armenian service. 

“I do not agree that we have deviated from the European path. We highly appreciate European values, and we will continue to cooperate with the European Union [EU].  

“In recent years we have implemented numerous European Union-assisted reforms in Armenia.

“It is just that our joining the Customs Union is due to geopolitical realities and is in our interests. We do not see any contradictions,” Abrahamyan stressed, in particular.

The Armenian parliament leader still hopes that Armenia can sign a document with the EU at the EU Eastern Partnership Summit to be held in the Lithuanian capital city Vilnius, at the end of November. 

The NA speaker is preparing to discuss this matter on Tuesday at European Parliament.  

To note, Hovik Abrahamyan is in Brussels to participate in the Third Congress of the Armenians of Europe. Nagorno-Karabakh Republic President Bako Sahakyan, Catholicos Aram I of the Great House of Cilicia of the Armenian Apostolic Church, and numerous other guests are likewise attending this event.  

Following the talks that were held on September 3 in Moscow between Armenian and Russian Presidents Serzh Sargsyan and Vladimir Putin, Sargsyan had announced that Armenia plans to join the Customs Union and subsequently engage in the formation of the Eurasian Economic Union. Aside from Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan likewise are members in the Customs Union. And in response to this development, the European Union had stated that the signing of the Armenia-EU Association Agreement and the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area agreement is now doubtful.