Armenian National Assembly discusses legislative initiative on withdrawal from EEU
ArmInfo.Armenian National Assembly discusses legislative initiative of oppositional faction Yelk on creating temporal commission on withdrawal of the republic from Eurasian economic union.
As the justification for his initiative, the head of the faction Nikol Pashinyan listed several key factors, in his opinion. Thus, the decision says that for three years of the republic's membership in the EEU, Armenia's GDP in dollar terms decreased by 8%, employment decreased by 13%, international reserves decreased by 40%, public debt grew by 10%. At the same time, there was a reduction in investments in the country's economy. So, if in 2014 the volume of investments made 167 billion AMD (about $ 350 million), then in 2016 this figure amounted to 81 billion AMD.
Yelk bloc believes that Armenia's participation in this integration association limits the opportunities for expanding trade relations with third countries, including neighboring Georgia and Iran. Also in the faction believe that, contrary to the agreement on the EEU, freedom of movement of capital, goods, services and labor is not ensured.
"The EEU member countries do not contribute to the peaceful resolution of the Karabakh problem, moreover, some of them at the highest level have repeatedly expressed their support for the aggressive policy of Azerbaijan, while the strategic partner of Armenia - Russia continues to arm Azerbaijan, providing about 85% of the Azerbaijani arsenal of modern offensive weapons", the draft decision says.
The authors also refer to the "permanent introduction of authoritarian traditions in the Armenian political system existing in a number of the EEU countries," and as a consequence - the increase in the number of violations of the rights and freedoms of Armenian citizens. Taking into account the above facts, the faction considers Armenia's continued presence in the EEU as a dangerous and fraught threat for the country.
In turn, representatives of the parliamentary majority of the Republican Party categorically disagreed with the arguments of colleagues from the "Yelk". Thus, the head of the RPA faction Vahram Baghdasaryan cited economic indicators as a proof of the effectiveness of the republic's membership in the EEU - GDP growth, exports, economic activity.
And vice-speaker Eduard Sharmazanov said that in general there is no sense into discuss the issue of withdrawal from the EEU, since Armenian people, voting for the Republican Party and acting authorities that initiated the membership of the republic in this union, automatically supported this particular integration vector. Discussing the issue of withdrawing from the Unified Energy System means resisting the will of the people, Sharmazanov said.