Results of Riga Summit for Armenia depend on Moscow's reaction, Armenian expert says

What will be the results of the upcoming Riga Summit of the Eastern Partnership for Armenia greatly depends on Russia's reaction, Stepan Safaryan, Director of the Armenian Institute for International Affairs and Defense, former parliamentarian, told ArmInfo.  Safaryan said the problem is not whether the Riga Summit will result in any agreement between Armenia and the EU or not.  Armenia and Brussels have rather deep relations in many fields and technically it is not a problem for them to fix anything on paper.

Safaryan is sure that problems are in a different field. "Much depends on the Russian factor. There is a probability that at a certain stage Moscow will consider the negotiations between Yerevan and Brussels dangerous. If the possible document between Yerevan and Brussels is not as comprehensive as DCFTA, Moscow will not create any obstacles to it. Negotiations have been held on many issues and it remains to feel Moscow's mood, " Safaryan said. Earlier EU Ambassador Traian Hristea said EU is ready to work with Armenia within EaP despite Yerevan's alignment with the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union. He said Brussels has specific ideas and programs for every EaP country.

Earlier, Manfred Grund, a member of the Bundestag Committee on Foreign Relations, told ArmInfo in Yerevan the EU will be building relations with its eastern partners considering the specifics of every country.  For instance, he said, in Armenia it will be judiciary and legal reform, civil society, tax administration and anti-corruption measures.  In addition, he said, more flexibility is needed so that the sides could overcome and remove competition, antagonism between the EEU and EU in future.