Armenia's decision to join the Customs Union has brought fourth numerous questions about the prospects of Armenia's development and sovereignty, Dr. Canan Atilgan, Director of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (Foundation) (KAS) in the South Caucasus, said at a roundtable in Yerevan.
Canan Atilgan expressed the Foundation's amazement at Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan's decision to join the Customs Union. This was unexpected, because not a single circumstance had foretold such a U- turn. Moreover, initialing of the Association Agreement with the European Union in Vilnius should have been the logical end of the negotiations.
In the meantime, Atilgan said that the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, like other European organizations, would continue making its own contribution to the Armenia-EU rapprochement. She stressed that the priorities of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung are to ensure transparency in the governance system, to establish a strong civil society in Armenia, as well as to stimulate the EU's dialogue with the Armenian public and authorities.
To note, the roundtable was organized by the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS). The Armenian Office of the Foundation was launched in 2008. It advocates strengthening of democracy and European integration.