Nagorno-Karabakh issue can not prevent Armenia from joining Eurasian economic union

YEREVAN, June 6. / ARKA /. The unresolved Nagorno-Karabakh conflict can not prevent Armenia from joining the Eurasian Economic Union, according to Vadim Gigin, the chief editor of "Belarusian Dumka" magazine, who spoke at a news conference today in Yerevan.

Speaking at May 29 summit of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan in Astana, Kazakh president Nursultan Nazarbayev cited the need to address Azerbaijan’s concerns, expressed in a letter sent by its president to the heads of the three countries, demanding  that the forthcoming accession treaty with Yerevan stipulate that Armenia is joining the Eurasian Economic Union with its internationally recognized borders. 

"The Karabakh issue has nothing to do with the Eurasian integration. Armenia is a member of the UN, OSCE, Council of Europe, the CIS and the Collective Security Treaty Organization and has had no complications related to its borders," Gigin said.

He said differences exist even between allies, for example, between the EU and NATO and what is important is the ability to resolve them.

Semyon Uralov, a Russian expert, said products made in Nagorno-Karabakh can safely enter Eurasian Economic Union’s market if labeled as ‘Made in Armenia.’

Uralov also urged Armenian authorities to launch a massive lobbying campaign in Russia, Georgia, Europe and the United States to push for the reviving the railway link across Georgia’s breakaway region of Abkhazia. He said this task is facilitated by the fact that Armenia has good relations both with Russia and Georgia.

“Given the Russian economic assistance to Abkhazia as well as its military presence in the region Moscow can convince Abkhazia to allow the resumption of the railway link through its territory,” he said. -0-