Serzh Sarkisian during interview with Euronews (Photo: Euronews/Video Screenshot)
BRUSSELS, Belgium (ArmRadio)—Armenian President Serge Sarkisian spoke to Euronews’ Brussels correspondent Andrei Beketov for an interview after the European Union (EU) and Armenia concluded negotiations on a Partnership Agreement. The deal is likely to be signed in May.
Is the Armenia-EU deal a step forward or backward from the Association Agreement, which Armenia called off in 2013?
“Because of the will of both sides, this agreement isn’t so different from the previous one. There is not much difference on the political part. As for the economic part, we have to make sure there are no contradictions with our commitments vis-à -vis the Eurasian Economic Union, which we are a member of.
But Russia objected the association agreements with Armenia, Ukraine. Did you have to water down the agreement to sooth Russia, your ally?
On the very beginning of the negotiations, our understanding was that we can have both –the Association Agreement with the EU and close integration with the Eurasian Economic Union. Russians never told us we could never sign such an agreement, they told us “you can, but you’ll have to pay for energy at world market price.â€
