EU-Armenia: About decision to join the Customs Union
Brussels (6th September) - Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy Štefan Füle had discussions with Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian in Brussels on Thursday about recent developments that have a clear impact on the EU-Armenia association agenda. As stated by the Minister in his press release they discussed Armenia´s decision to join the Customs Union. The Minister stressed Armenia’s wish to continue developing a deep and wide partnership with the EU which would at the same time not contradict Armenia’s membership in the Customs Union.
Commissioner Füle said after the meeting: "We continue our assessment of the new situation, including in on-going consultations with our partners, and are in the process of informing our member states and consulting with them. In light of Armenia's declared choice to join the Customs Union it is however difficult to imagine the initialling at Vilnius summit in November of the Association Agreement with Armenia as it had been negotiated. Based on the information we presently have, the compatibility of obligations to the Customs Union with those under an Association Agreement/DCFTA with the EU looks problematic.
We intend to respect the sovereign right of our partners to choose what integration framework or cooperation frameworks they would like to pursue, and are convinced that it is in the interest of all to further strengthen together with Armenia what we have jointly achieved over the past years of partnership."