YEREVAN, November 10. / ARKA /. The framework agreement that Armenia is going to negotiate with the European Union is an attempt to find an alternative to the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), a former head of Armenia’s Central Bank, Bagrat Asatryan, claimed today.



In early October the EU Foreign Affairs Council authorized the European Commission and the High Representative to open negotiations on a new legal basis for relations with Armenia. The new agreement will replace the current agreement on partnership and cooperation between the EU and Armenia. The official launch of the negotiations is expected later this year.



"The EEU is a political project. As regards the economic benefits of Armenia's accession to the Russia-led bloc they are obvious – a 30% decline of Armenian exports to Russia,' Bagrat Asatryan said, adding also that the Eurasian Economic Union does not have future.



Armenia and the EU were supposed to sign the Association Agreement and the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (DCFTA) at a 2013 November Eastern Partnership summit in Vilnius but on September 3 Armenia’s president Serzh Sargsyan announced that the country was going to become part of the Russian-led Customs Union.



EEU member states are Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia. Tajikistan, Syria, Tunisia and Egypt said they would like to join it too.



The United Nations is going to admit it at its next session as a full member. The Russia-led union signed a free trade zone agreement with Vietnam. -0-





15:26 10.11.2015