YEREVAN. – As a result of a survey conducted among 1,000 people in Armenia, it was found out that 86 percent of the respondents has a favorable attitude toward the Armenian authorities’ decision to join the Customs Union.    

“Integration and Development” NGO Director Aram Safaryan noted the abovementioned at Friday’s Yerevan-Moscow live television link discussion.

As per Safaryan, however, solely 10 percent of the respondents actually knows what the Russia-led Customs Union is, whereas a virtually overwhelming majority trusts the Customs Union.   

In addition, there is a great trust toward Russia as the engine of the Customs Union. Specifically, people over the age of sixty and the middle-aged have particularly positive attitude toward the Customs Union, whereas the youth prefer Europe.

Furthermore, 82 percent of the respondents consider Russia to be Armenia’s friend. But, in Aram Safaryan’s words, this positive attitude may disappear if the people’s approval is not made use of and they are not informed about the ongoing integration processes.

To note, 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.