Monday, December 2 2013

 A public interest group of the citizens of Armenia who oppose Armenia's accession to the Russia-led Customs Union are expected to start a protest action in the Liberty Square in Armenia on December 2. The protesters will march along the Northern Ave, Republic Square, Amiryan Street, Mashtots Ave, to the President's residence on Baghramyan Ave.

The group comprises members of the parties Free Democrats. Union for National Self-Determination, Heritage, and Hayazn, as well as representatives of Asparez Journalists' Club, Helsinki Citizens' Assembly Vanadzor Office, National Civil Initiative and other public organizations, public interest groups "We are against Customs Union with Russia," Sovereign Armenia and others.

"The goal of the rally is to make the authorities respect the rights and freedoms of the Armenian people, act in line with the Constitution of Armenia and stop the process of accession to the Customs Union and the Eurasian Economic Area," the organizers say in a statement provided to ArmInfo.

Earlier in the morning today, several civic activists were taken to the Police Office of the Center Community for trying to hang posters against Armenia's accession to the Customs Union.  To recall, President of Russia Vladimir Putin is arriving on a state visit to Armenia today, on Dec 2. Earlier on September 3, 2013 in Moscow the Presidents Serzh Sargsyan and Vladimir Putin confirmed the aim of the Republic of Armenia and the Russian Federation in the direction of further development of economic integration processes in the Eurasian territory.  Before that Armenia had been negotiating with the EU for the Association Agreement for 3 years. The agreement was to be signed at the Eastern Partnership Summit in Vilnius in Nov 2013.

The Customs Union has been created within the Eurasian economic space for trade and economic integration of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia on the initiative of Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2011. CU is one of the biggest integration unions in the world with a population of 170 mln people and GDP of $2.7 trillion.