Time in Yerevan: 11:07,   19 March 2024

No secret talks or pressure involved, President Sargsyan on CEPA with EU

No secret talks or pressure involved, President Sargsyan on CEPA with EU

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 17, ARMENPRESS. President Sargsyan reassures that Armenia did not refuse signing the Association Agreement with the EU, but it was rather the EU itself that didn’t want to sign the deal with Armenia.

Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, the Armenian President stressed that Armenia has always been open and honest with its partners, especially related to integration partners.

“When we commenced negotiations with the EU, all our partners, our allies were aware of it, and our European partners were aware that we were also negotiating to join the Eurasian Economic Union, the then-Customs Union. We were considering it to be possible. And when the “both” principle was substituted with the “either this, or that” principle, we couldn’t sign such an agreement. Meaning, it wasn’t us that refused to sign the Association Agreement, it was the European Union that didn’t want to sign an agreement with us. We even offered to sign the political section of the agreement, if possible, but our European partners refused. But only weeks later an agreement like the one we had offered was signed with Ukraine. We very well understand the opportunities of Armenia and the opportunities of Ukraine, Armenia’s role and Ukraine’s role, but nevertheless it was strange for us. So, we didn’t refuse from signing such an agreement, and thank God not so long after the EU made a decision and this decision was approved at the Riga summit – this decision was the differentiated approach, and it was within this differentiated approach that we were able to sign a document with the EU”, the President said.

The President once again emphasized that Armenia did not have any secret negotiations with anyone, and hasn’t made decisions under any pressure whatsoever.  “Our historic experience shows that attempts of temporary benefiting from conflicts leads to great tragedies. We went through such tragedy and we wouldn’t want for that tragedies to repeat”, he said.








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