Today the EU is holding the Association Agreement negotiations with Armenia, Ambassador Traian Hristea, Head of the EU Delegation to Armenia, said at the EU Information Centre on Tuesday. The Association Agreement will become a basis for further political and economic cooperation, he said.
The Ambassador believes that every country outlines its own path with due regard for its own interests. He said that Yerevan and Brussels are negotiating on closer cooperation in various fields. In this context, the Ambassador pointed out that not only the political but also the economic component is implied when the matter concerns European integration.
Traian Hristea said that the EU's relations with each of the 6 member countries of Eastern Partnership are particular and cannot affect the relations with the third party. He thinks that every country chooses its own level of cooperation with the EU: some countries prefer more active cooperation, some prefer passive one.
When commenting on the media reports that Armenia has come across economic problems (i.e. rise in gas prices) owing to its reluctance to join the future Eurasian Union, the Ambassador said that if official Yerevan must observe some rules to carry out its activities in a certain economic field, then Yerevan should decide itself
whether it will be able to carry out activities within different international structures. He added that the EU has never made Armenia choose between European Union and Eurasian Union.
He added that by signing the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement, Armenia will receive an opportunity to enjoy 3 out of 4 basic economic freedoms guaranteed by the EU treaties: free movement of goods, services and capital. As regards the free movement of people, this freedom is now available for the EU member countries only.