Litouwen spreekt Armenië aan op toetreding Euraziatische Unie (en)

Met dank overgenomen van Litouws voorzitterschap Europese Unie 2e helft 2013 i, gepubliceerd op maandag 9 september 2013.

On 7 September, the Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Linas Linkevičius met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Edward Nalbandian, who is paying a visit to Vilnius, and discussed the announcement of 3 September that Armenia had decided to seek the Customs Union membership.

The Armenian Foreign Minister assured L.Linkevičius that Armenia wished to continue to participate actively in the Eastern Partnership programme.

The Lithuanian Foreign Minister stressed that there was a need to continue consultations and to assess the situation; however, the Minister saw an incompatibility between Armenia’s membership of the Customs Union and participation in a deep and comprehensive free trade area with the EU.

“We respect Armenia’s will, but we must emphasise that the decision to join the Customs Union diminishes Armenia’s ambitions of integration in and cooperation with the EU,” L.Linkevičius said.

The Minister L.Linkevičius noted that in this context it was important to look towards the future and not to waste what Armenia had achieved during the 5 years of its participation in the Eastern Partnership programme, as well as during the negotiations on the Association Agreement.

According to L.Linkevičiaus, the visit of the Armenian Foreign Minister shows that the country wishes to cooperate with the EU and to participate in the Eastern Partnership programme.