In an interview with Tert.am, Management expert Harutyun Mesrobyan spoke of the roadmap for Armenia’s accession to the Customs Union, strong and weak points, presumed threats and expected benefits.
Regardless of which union Armenia is going to join, it will lose its sovereignty.
“If joins any larger union, any state has at least three tasks. And I have seen them in the roadmap.
“First, the national laws must be conformed to the common laws. In this case, it is the Customs Union laws.
“Second, a state joining a larger union is supposed to revise the previously signed international agreements with the states that are not members of the union.
“Third, the state is supposed to accede to the agreements in effect in the Customs Union. Armenia would have the state tasks if it signed an Association Agreement with the European Union.”
With respect to possible threats, Mesrobyan said:
“Last year, the strong and weak points of Armenia’s joining the Customs Union and signing an Association Agreement with the Customs Union were widely discussed. I was surprised at so many people voicing their opinions without the texts of the agreements at their disposal. I was concerned because both the Customs Union and the EU were lobbying for their interests. It is natural because any great power shows imperial approaches. Their task is to enlarge their territories or extend their influence. I am surprised at Armenia.
“The problem is that the three aforementioned points will eventually result in Armenia’s losing part of its sovereignty, with a prospect of completely losing sovereignty regardless of whether Armenia joins the Customs Union, the EU or any other union. Armenia’s problem is either remaining a sovereign state or gradually losing its sovereignty. Empires first take part of your sovereignty and, in the course of time, more and more. Finally, there comes a moment when a state comes to realize it is not a state any more.
According to Mesrobyan, Armenia will inevitably lose its sovereignty.
“We have a number of fundamental problems with both the Customs Union and the European Union. I would like to single out the absence of common borders. On the one hand, we are weakening our sovereignty. On the other hand, we remain an enclave. It is a strategically unacceptable approach. I am surprised at the naivety of mass media and social network users. They are clinging to beautiful words. But they are unaware of vague wordings. Any empire seeks to enlarge its territory. Ninety percent are saying naïve things, while 10% are advocating membership in one union or another. I am strongly against it.”