KHACHATUR ABOVYAN ARMENIAN STATE PEDAGOGICAL UNIVERSITY

Exactly one year ago, on 3 September the RA Minister Serzh Sargsyan announced about the decision of Armenia to join the Customs Union and then the Eurasian Economic Union.

Today, the Pedagogical University was hosting an outstanding politologist the Director of the New York branch of the Institute of “Democracy and Cooperation”, Honorary Doctor of the ASPU Mr. Andranik Mihranyan, who was delivering his lecture on the abovementioned subject.

Mr. Andranik Mihranyan spoke about the RA decision to join the Customs Union, highlighting the fact that this was the most crucial and accurate step; “as an initiative country Armenia could use the provided opportunities” the politologist mentioned adding that it is impossible to ensure a county’s security in one structure, and the economic prosperity –in another. 

“There must be priorities when forming the external policy for countries. This priority for Armenia is its security; we shouldn’t forget that on the one side we are in a “hot” war, on the other side we are in a “cold” war”, Mr. Andranik Mihranyan said.

Speaking about the other advantages of joining the Customs Union the Professor observed that Russia is Europe, too, and the cooperation with them will also contribute to economic development of Armenia, expanding the investment field and creating new employment opportunities.

During the meeting, the politologist spoke about the Ukrainian situation too, about the Crimea referendum and its possible influence on the Nagorno Karabakh problem.

In addition, Mr. Andranik Mihranyan also noticed that a divided country like Ukraine will be destroyed because of nationalistic power, the witness of which we are being today.

Likewise, the Politologist highlighted the official positioning of the RA towards the self-determination of Crimea and the acknowledgement of the legitimacy of the referendum on the highest level and noted that with this Armenia once again confirmed his approach to one of the main principles of the UN Charter, the right of national self-determination. 

In the second stage of the meeting professor Andranik Mihranyan answered to the questions of those present, including issues referring to the ideological-political grounds of Eurasian economic union as well as other geopolitical events.