Expert: It`s time for Armenia to move away from uncertainty and choose between West and East

ArmInfo. Armenia is suffering greatly from uncertainty – it doesn't want to break with the East, and it's failing to integrate with the West, according to Stanford University professor and political scientist Artur Khachikyan.

The political scientist is confident that it's time to show willpower and make a decision, end these endless debates, and get down to business.

According to the expert, two important developments unfolding around Armenia need to be monitored today.

"First, the EAEU published a very clear report detailing the consequences of Armenia's withdrawal from the EAEU. There's a lot of information there, but very little that's good." "Everything is as we predicted: a 60% increase in gas prices, a 55-65% reduction in imports and exports, the restoration of customs controls on Armenian products, a tightening of migration regulations for Armenian citizens in Russia, a reduction in transfers from the EAEU to Armenia, a 15% reduction in GDP, and so on. In other words, everything we've been talking about for many years. Now it's clearly stated," Khachikyan noted in his Telegram post.

According to him, it was also stated that Armenia could be expelled from the EAEU based on its law on seeking EU membership, since it is impossible to be a member of two customs unions simultaneously.

"And the adoption of such a law would mean a declaration of withdrawal from the EAEU. Everything is moving in the direction that if a referendum isn't held in Armenia to clarify the opinion of the Armenian people on this crucial issue, a decision will be made without Armenia by the end of the year." Indeed, after years of campaigning for European integration and leaving the Eurasian Economic Union, we need to either take this path or stop feeding the public with empty hopes. Do we want to join Europe? Let's do it. We're all for it. Let's hold a referendum, make it clear, and begin integrating with Europe. After eight years of promises, we can ask our European friends to open their markets to our goods, grant our citizens the right to work in Europe, ensure our security, and then—off to the Champs-Élysées," the political scientist noted.

And the second important event, according to Khachikyan, is the unprecedented wave of protests in Europe, with its epicenter in France. He noted that in Europe and around the world, there is already talk of the defeat of globalism and a return to national politics.

"Italian leader Melone gave a speech about how the protests across Europe signify the desire of people to return to their national values." In France, two leaders of polar opposite political forces, Mélenchon and Le Pen, are building their election platforms on the principles of protecting French producers, the French market, and limiting immigration. So what are we doing? In a world where the center of power is shifting east, we say we're choosing the west. In a world where Europe is ablaze with protests against globalism and uncontrolled migration, where there's talk of limiting imports from third countries and protecting domestic producers, we're abandoning our existing market and striving to enter a place where they want to close the door on us," Khachikyan noted. Based on this, the political scientist is confident that it's time for Armenia to make its final choice, try to follow its own path, and determine from its own experience what's best for it. "It's time to stop empty talk and start making decisions. Either to the right or to the left. Either to the east or to the west." "We need to make a decision," the professor concluded.