newsitems CoE Chair, Armenian President Sargsyan: Links with EU and with Russia not opposed but complementary
CoE Chair, Armenian President Sargsyan: Links with EU and with Russia not opposed but complementary
*Strasbourg/CoE/Angelo Marcopolo/- Symbolically well placed, as current Chairman of the CoE, the PanEuropean Organisation due to boost Cooperation and Unity among its Members, including, mainly, through Democracy, Human Rights and Rule of Law principles, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, in his Speech to CoE's PanEuropean Parliamentary Assembly in Strasbourg, as well as in Reply to MEPs' questions on developments concerning EU's Eastern Partnership and Russia's EurAsian Union, stressed that instead of opposing these 2, neighbouring Regional Integration plans, as some often do recently, sometimes even too sharply, in almost Dramatic terms, on the make thecontrary, they should be made Complementary to each other, and organized in a way which coukd Fit them all in one, by "Matching the Relationships and Interests with both our Key Partners" :
A reply which obviously concerns, mutatis-mutandis, also several other European Countries, such as Belarus, Moldova, Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaitzan, etc, at the eve of an impotant EU Summit at Vilnius scheduled to take Decisions on EU's Eastern Partnership in November.
- "We would Refuse to Built a New Relationship with any Partner, that would be aimed against any other Partner", President Sargsyan warned. - "Armenia has a Close Allied Relationship with the EU", and "we aspire to have the Closest and the Widest posssible Relationshio with Russia". "We have not built a New Relatonship at the Expense of the Relationship with our strategic Ally", he stressed from the outset, as a matter of Princple.
- In particular, "Armenia aims to Continue its comprehensive and mutally Beneficial Partnership with the EU" : "The EU is one of Armenia's most Important Partners : Wide scale of Reforms in relation to Human Rights, Democracy and Rule of Law, make up the Core of our Relationship. The Eastern Partnership instrument, created under the EU and in Coperation with the CoE, is an important initiative. It covers a variety of activities, "That Policy will Continue", he ensured.
- Because "we are not prepared to view that matter in the dimension" of a kind of ..."Civilizational Choice" of the Countries participating in the EU's Eastern Partnership", as "there has Recently been much Talk of", he warned. In fact, "We have Always stated that", and it's "from the outset of (EU's) Easter, Partnership Initiative (2009), and even Before, we have stated, and will Continue" to state that, President Sargsyan clarified.
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- Replying to a Question by Swedish MEP Marietta Pourbaix-Lundin, who claimed that Armenia's decision would have been "a last minute Change", obtained after "a lot of Pressure", "not only on Armenia, but also on Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, and Azerbaidjan", he not only firmly Denied, but also presented an absolutely Differend View of the overall situation:
- On the so-called "Pressure, it would be redundant to speak of any. ...Frankly ... no official from the Russian Federation or the (EurAsian) customs union has uttered even half a word about the need for Armenia’s accession" to that. In fact, "We (Armena) were the ones expressing that Desire, because we face a simple Reality: GFor more than 20 Years, (i.e. almost all the time that ARmenia was Independent), we have been in a Military-Security system of Countries that now form a(n EurAsian) Customs union. We canNot Isolate ourselves from the geo-Economic area in which we have operated for more than 2 Decades", Sargsyan explained.
- Most important : - "our policy is one of Matching interests, Not Conflicting interests", the Armenian President stressed, right at the Heart of the matter. Thus, "the (EU's) Eastern Partnership can always Supplement activities of Other organisations, meaning that our interests could be Complementary in this area" : "We Always told (that to) our European colleagues in the European Commission", ""From the very Beginning of the negotiations" with the EU, he reminded. And initially, "our colleagues have Agreed with us, and said that the -(EU's) Eastern Partnership is not aimed against any third party, State or organisation".
- But, curiously, it's "Unfortunately", only "After stating our intention to join the ("EurAsian") Customs union, (that) "our EU Commission colleagues said that there would be a direct Conflict, between the (EurAsian) customs union, and the (EU's) free trade agreement, as well as different Rules" (of WTO ?) , President Sargsyan denounced.
=> Therefore, "we suggested that we should therefore sign the (EU's) Association agreement, which mainly relates to Political Reforms. We have said that we are Ready and Committed to carrying out those Reforms, and we are Continuing that process", he revealed. In consequence, in this sense, "We Still stand Ready to sign an Association agreement with the EU" : "Armenia remains on Track", he confirmed.
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+ Questioned, however, anew by Moldovan Liberal MEP Ana Gutu about "Armenia’s expectations for the (EU) Eastern Partnership Summit that will take place in Vilnius at the end of November", and, whether "Armenia will wish to Sign an Association agreement with the EU ?", the Armenian President made a crystal-clear Distinction :
- "We will take part in the (EU) Vilnius Summit", and "We stand fully Ready to sign the Association agreement", Sargsyan confirmed at first.
+ "But there are 2 Facets : The (EU) Association agreement, and the (EU) Deep and comprehensive Free Trade area (DCFTA)". And, "since our EU colleagues have told us that the DCFTA contradicts (Com. Supra + Infra) the (EurAsian) Customs union treaties, we anticipate that we will sign Only the (-EU) Association agreement", he supposed.
- Indeed, " The Association agreement, and reforms to be taken under it, are the Nexus of our relationship with the EU. The main document is the Association agreement", (closer to CoE's own mission to boost Legal Reforms for the protection of Human Rights, Democracy and Rule of Law).
=> In consequence, "in the run-up to it (EU's Vilnius Summit) , our expectation is that Changes will be made to the Negotiating Document" accordingly. In this sense, "We would like to be in Vilnius, and would like to sign the association agreement", (i.e. by taking into account the above-mentioned Distinction : See Supra).
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+ A last Question by French "Socialist" MEP ... Fournier, incited the Armenian President to Sum up :
- "This situation seems to be jeopardising the European (EU) Free Trade Agreement that your country had been planning to sign at the (EU) Eastern Partnership Summit at the end of November. What Plans do you have for Relations between your country and the EU ?", Fournier asked.
+ Let me reiterate : the Policy is one of Complementarity (f.ex. between EU's Eastern Partnership, and EurAsian Union, etc). From the very beginning of the EU's Eastern Partnership talks, we agreed with our EU colleagues that our relationship with the European Union would not be promoted at the expense of any existing relationship with our Allies (Russia, etc) – On the contrary, "our relationship with the EU would Complement our relationship with Other organisations", (as, f.ex. the EurAsian union, etc).
- For more than 3 years, that was the mutual Understanding". But, "I Regret that, (recently) our colleagues in the EU deemed a(n EU) Free Trade agreement Incompatible with our accession to the (EurAsian) customs union", he critcized anew.
=> Therefore, now, "We are Talking to our colleagues in the EU, about what kind of Document we may be able to Sign", since "we will continue to develop our relationship with the European Union", and "we will go to Vilnius"' EU Summit. In particular, "the (EU) Association agreement is about not only a free Trade area, but, primarily and fundamentally, Political Reform. ... We (Armenia) will Continue such Reforms, and that we stand Ready to Sign that Part of the (EU) Association agreement in Vilnius" Summit, Sangsyan explained anew.
Something which, obviously, unveils an Original Situation : Contrary to what Other Neighbouring Countries use to do : I.e. Accept to make Democratic and other Reforms in order to become able to benefit from a lucrative Economic Deal with the EU, on the Contrary, here, an Eastern Neighbouring Country like Armenia feels obliged to suggest to accept Reforms even withou getting, in exchange, any Economoic (Trade) Deal with the EU, (since it would be obliged, according to some hasty interpretations reportedly made by EU Commission in Brussels), to drop the EU's "Free Trade" component, because it would be "incompatible" with Russia's EurAsian Customs Union, (reportedly, according to EU Commission's sources).
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EU Commissioner for Enlargment and Neighborhood policy, Stefan Füle, had apparently accepted at least the Principle of that :
- "We (EU) stand ready to do all we can ...to work with our Neighbours to Find Ways of maximising the Compatibility between the EU and Eurasian structures", and, particularly, "in a way that facilitates Trade and economic Integration to the benefit of our neighbours, and also to the benefit of our neighbours’ neighbour", as he had declared, recently at EU Parliament's last Plenary, September 2013 in Strasbourg. Because, "I am a great believer in the Win-Win approach, particularly when dealing with such an important, privileged and strategic partner as Russia. I am definitely Not in the business of creating New Wars", Fule denounced.
"On the contrary, Transformation is the rule of the game. The Association Agreement, including this Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA), is a most powerful instrument of that transformation. That is why the Vilnius (EU) Summit, and the preparations for the eventual signing and initialling of this agreement are so important. The rule of the game is not to lower the bars or to forget about conditionality, but to offer a more Strategic engagement with our partners.
- Fule reminded that 2004 led to the development of so-called ‘deep and comprehensive Free trade areas’ (DCFTAs) as an integral part of the new enhanced agreements subsequently known as Association agreements proposed in 2006. at the Prague Summit establishing the Eastern Partnership in 2009 and confirming our joint objective of Political Association and Economic Integration underpinned by those Association agreements(A) /deep and comprehensive Free Trade areas (B)".The Prague Summit established the Eastern Partnership in 2009 and confirmed our joint objective of Political association and Economic integration underpinned by those association agreements/deep and comprehensive free trade areas.
- But, "EU Standards and norms ... are currently Not always Identical with ...those of the (EurAsian) Customs Union", particularly concerning "External Trade policy", Füle pointed out; without explaining clearly from which point of view. Earlier, he had obserbed, in this regard, that :
>>> - "It is true that (EurAsian) Customs Union membership is Not Compatible with the DCFTA which we have negotiated with Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, George and Armenia. This is not because of some ideological differences. ...This is due to Legal impossibilities. F.ex. ou cannot at the same time Lower your Customs Triffs as per the (EU's) DCFTA, and Increase them as a result of (EurAsian) Customs Union membership", Fule warned.
+ Howewer, he also stressed, that "It May certainly be Possible for members of the (EU) Eastern Partnership to increase their cooperation with the (EurAsian) Customs Union, perhaps as observers"...participation in a DCFTA is of course fully Compatible ......with our partners’ existing (?) free trade agreements with other Commonwealth of Independent States’ organisations.
- That's why, "we are already actively Cooperating with Russia on the Alignment of many Norms and Standards", as ....a key element of the EU-Russia Partnership for Modernisation", so that "these standards are also increasingly being Adopted by the (EurAsian) Customs Union": Meanwhile, . EU "Norms are ..., of course, fully compatible with WTO rules. So the EU is actually helping all its partners, including Russia, to ...Open up to Globalisation", as he said, (probably hinting at Lower Taxes at the Borders, easing Foreign Trade)...
=> Therefore, "We have always added that we stand ready to help our Partners, and if necessary Moscow as well, to FIT "the policies of the Customs Union and the Eurasian Union", he promissed.
=> "Our Vision is that these agreements should contribute in the long-term to the eventual creation of a Common Economic Space from Lisbon to Vladivostok, based on WTO rules", highighted Fühle. "THE issue is ameliorate and develop EU- Russia Deal in a commonly agreed Greater Europe, facing a growing Global Competition"
"So we encourage our partners to Deepen their Ties with Russia, as we do ourselves, but in a way which is Compatible with the (EU) Association agreement, and ....Free Rrade areas’ obligations. The EU is ready to work with its neighbours to Find ways to promote greater regulatory Convergence between EU Member States and the (EurAsian) Customs Union", Fule proposed, but without making it clear whether he meant to Lower Customs' tariffs, or not)...
"...... The Last thing we want to see is a Protectionist Wall cutting our continent in two. In today’s ever more competitive global economy we cannot afford to vwaste our efforts on a regional geopolitical Rivalry", he concluded.
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+ The issue inevitably raised also Questions about some, old or new, EU Commission's controversial moves, if not guided by a conscious Strategy, at least, apparently provoking a series of Negative results against European Integration, perhaps as a quasi-automatic consequence of a too rigid stance mainly on Common Market related points :
All sincere and conscious European Citizens certainly don't like the fact that unequestionably European Countries, (from the point of view of their Culture, History, Geography, development, ties, shared Values, etc), such as Schwitzerland, Norway, etc. and recently even Iceland, (not to mention the way to treat Ukraine, or even the particular case of great Russia itself, etc), have droped, at least for the time being, any project to join the EU in the foreseable Future, (even if they want to have very Close Links with the EU, often in Economy, Science, etc., and sometimes even on Schengen's free movement and security rules, etc), often after Referenda and/or Elections where Voters were apparently dissuaded too often by comparatively "secondary" maters, such as, f.ex. the fear that noisy and poluting Lorries and Trucks might cross the splendid Swiss Natural Landscapes, or that Fishing Quota disputes would deprive Iceland from one of its most important, traditional resources of real economy, etc.. So that finally, (with the only exception, perhaps, of Serbia and other Western Balkan Countries), it's .. only Turkey (sic !) which apparently still persists in its controversial and unpopular EU bid.... Not something that would provoke enthousiasm to the European People, isn't it ? What went wrong, and who was really responsible for siuch facts, (which must obviously be changed the soonest) ?
"EuroFora" never was really fan of Romanian ex-"Socialist" (currenytly Independent) politician Mr. Severin in the Past, but, simply by reading now what he recently denounced in Strasbourg, precisely during the latest EU Parliament's debate on the topical issue of Countries like Armenia, Ukraine, Belarus, Azerbaidjan, Moldova, etc., pushed and pulled between EU's Eastern Partnership and Russia's EurAsian plans, are not without interest :
- "Adrian Severin (NI). - ...the fact that Russia wants to attract its neighbours to come under its leadership in the Eurasian Union is understandable. The EU also likes to have its neighbours together with it. The real question is why, after experiencing the European Union Eastern Partnership, countries like Armenia opt for the Eurasian Union. It is not only to do with pressure from the others. It is to do with our own (EU's) weaknesses". F.ex., "the Georgian Prime Minister apparently considered the same option. Belarus was lost because of the dogmatic shortcomings of some of our policies. Azerbaijan will be lost because the EU is not able to see the strategic importance of that country, which is not looking for money but for a serious political partnership and its territorial integrity. When Russia puts pressure on Ukraine for not signing the Association Agreement with us, it knows something that we apparently do not know, namely that Ukraine is strategically crucial ...... How long do we think that rejecting and harassing the Ukraine, Ukraine could remain neutral? ....It is useless to blame Russia. Instead we must be more robust and pragmatic in our policy. .....If we are always raising all kinds of Conditionalities, instead of trying to bring these countries together in our camp, certainly the other pressures will be fruitful. This is our fault and we have to avoid it in the future. We certainly could criticise Russia, but I believe we should als look in our own yard to see our own mistakes". [NDLR : "€uroFora" ommits here any references to EU "Values", and a relevant Debate between Severin and German ChristianDemocrat MEP Elmar Brok on Democracy, Human Rights and Rule of Law, since this is obviously not the main point with Armenia, but rather Trade and Global GeoPolitical issues].
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Symbolically, the beautiful Stained Glass Windows donated to the CoE by the Armenian 2013 Chairmanship, and set up this week at the Highest level of CoE' Assembly's Historic main Room, as its President, Jean-Claude Mignon observed himself, during a ceremony togethere wth Armenian President Sargsyan, seem to evoke what is essential here :
- While distinguishing between various Differend Parts, nevertheless, these superb and huge, Modern Stain-Glass Windows, keep a real Unity between them, shaping a Coherent overall Design, clearly visible at the Highest point of CoE Assembly's main room, and bringing Natural DayLight inside, as a Diplomatic Source close to President Sangsyan incited "EuroFora" to observe, by a coincidence, shortly after discussing, precisely, about the EU - Russia areas' "Complementarity" question (Comp. Supra), and the apparent Need to "shed some Light" on what it's really at stake, well beyond some false appearances, as we had suggested earlier. For both, you obviously need to look High enough, and get the entire, Big Picture of all the PanEuropean Architectures....
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(NDLR : "DraftNews", as already sent, earlier, to "EuroFora"s Subscribers/Donors. A more accurate, full Final Version, might be published asap).
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The recent paradox of freezing EU Talks with front-runner Croatia, while continuing controversial EU - Turkey talks, despite Zagreb's acceptance of Refugees' Human Rights to return, that Ankara refuses fex. in Cyprus, while both have "Good Neighborhood" problems vis a vis Slovenia, or Greece, Cyprus and Armenia respectively, can it be justified by the non-fullfilment of EU criteria, as Slovenia says, or, is it "Double Standards" ?
The question became unavoidable after statements by Presidents of Slovenia and Croatia, Tuerk and Mesic, respectively, to "EuroFora", exclusively or among Strasbourg's journalists this week at the CoE, on the sidelines of its 2009 Summer University for Political Schools, which topically brought them together as successive key-note speakers.
Comming only a few Months before EU checks Turkey's compliance to its commitments on Cyprus, etc., scheduled for December 2009, this obviously has a special importance for the coherence of EU Enlargement's principles.
Suspension of EU Negotiations is a normal consequence in case of a Candidate Country's failure to fullfil EU Conditions, such as "Good Neighborhood relations", stressed at first Slovenian President Danilo Tuerk, current CoE's chair.
But, regarding EU's Criteria, there shouldn't be any "Double Standards", reacted Croatian President Stjepan Mesic, commenting the fact that Turkey's controversial EU negotiations continue, while they were recently "freezed" in the case of Croatia, an "unquestionably European Country", which oficially accepts to respect Refugees Human Rights, contrary to Ankara's notorious refusals or reluctance.
Questioned earlier what "consequences on EU's Enlargement policy" can have the "Ban on EU Membership Negotiations", imposed to Croatia, Tuerk replied that "this question comes down to the fulfillement of (EU) Criteria for membership. One has to look at each Candidate Country ., from the point of view whether it fullfils the Criteria that EU has set. One of them are Good Neighborhood Relations, I'd like to remind. And also, there are other factors, such as Justice, Home affairs, Rule of Law, and others".
- "Now, ..Candidate Countries are at Different Levels of fulfillement of Criteria", he observed.
- " Croatia is obviously the closest to that. I'm rather optimistic : I think that in the coming Months we'll have an opportunity to look at all these issues constructively and hopefully we'll be able to make progress". "My main concern, at this point, is the situation in Bosnia : We haven't seen enough progres domesticaly. We haven't seen enough during ..political parties within their country.We need a New Energy, a new energetic move towards the Candidature for EU membership. "Other (Western Balkan) Countries (Serbia, Montenegro, FYROM, Albania) have been making soaring Progress, and I think that they should be ready, in a few Years, for the Candidate status".
- "As far as the Western Balkans are concerned, .. nobody should be left outside" the EU, Slovenian's President concluded, ommitting to mention Turkey's controversial EU bid.
- "This process may be seen as Slow, but.. Slovenia has also has also been exposed to various "Booms of Slowness" in our accession period. But now we can say that the process was relatively quick, because changes which occur after becoming EU member, are quite large, and they require proper Preparations before the (EU) membership becomes a new factor, an impacting line for a new (EU) member country".
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EU "Solidarity" ?
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Slovenian statements made some participants from certain 3rd Countries as FYROM, etc. claim that "the Principle of EU Solidarity" would "produce a.. rising European Union Nationalism (sic !), against Non-EU Countries", as they said, asking unhappy foreign countries to form a "bloc" to exert pressure on the EU...
But Croatian President Stjepan Mesic dismissed that, supporting "EU Integration", "after the Economy also in Political" issues, as "the achievement" of our times. In EU there is "diversity, but it's United", he stressed, "EU has to be United so that it can become a central factor of Peace" also at the surrounding areas, he replied.
Speaking later exclusively to "EuroFora", the experienced twice President of Croatia, former President of the International "Non-Aligned" movement, denounced "Double Standards" in the way EU treats recently Croatia compared to Turkey :
- "I think that there shouldn't be Double Standards", stressed the Croatian President, in reply to a Question comparing the freeze of EU - Croatia talks, with the continuation of EU - Turkey talks, despite the fact that Croatia is an "unquestionably European country", while Turkey's EU bid is notoriously controversial.
Mesic was reacting to the observation that, even if he confirmed his "respect of Refugees' Human Rights to return, etc. (See infra), nevertheless, EU talks are suspended with Croatia.. While for oher, controversial candidates, who refuse to respect Refugees' Rights to return, etc., as fex. Turkey does in occupied Cyprus and elsewhere, EU negotiations continue".
- "I believe that Croatia's accession will confirm that all European Countries who fulfill all of the Conditions and achieve European Standards, have to join the EU. There shouldn't be any Double Standards", went on to add in reply President Mesic.
In this relation, Croatia's President found "of paramount importance", CoE's "mechanisms enforcing ECHR's judgements"
- "On Refugees and Displaced persons, the process will be completed only after the last person demanding to return will be allowed to do so !", President Mesic Croatia stressed earlier, setting a general standard of obvious importance also for otherr candidates, as f.ex. Turkey, often accused to exclude or heavily restrict Greek Cypriot Displaced persons' return to their Family Homes and ancestral land, provoke difficulties to Turkish-Kurd IDPs return to their home regions at the South-East, etc.
Some "2.000 People are still reported Missing" in former Yugoslavia, for some Years, (as in Cyprus, modern Europe's oldest case, for 3 Decades. Nagorno-Karabach, Tcecnya in Russia, etc, more recently), and Investigations "will only be completed after establishing the fate of the last one of them", he added.
Speaking earlier on "War Crimes", President Mesic stressed that "Leaders are responsible for (the) Wars (of the Past), not the People", and called against Impunity : "Individuals have to be held Responsible for Crimes. International Penal Tribunals have to persecute those individuals", perpetrators of War Crimes, he underlined.
Such statements naturally made Mesic rather popular at ECHR, whose President, French EuroJudge, Professor Jean-Paul Costa, looked particularly smiling when he welcomed him later on Wednesday afternoon, after Slovenian President Daniko Tuerk earlier this week.