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Armenia Wins Backing to Join Trade Bloc Putin Envisions as E.U. Counterweight Armenia Wins Backing to Join Trade Bloc Championed by Putin
(35 minutes later)
MOSCOW — Russia’s lower house of Parliament voted unanimously on Wednesday to approve a treaty allowing Armenia to join a trade bloc of former Soviet states that President Vladimir V. Putin has championed as an alternative to the European Union.MOSCOW — Russia’s lower house of Parliament voted unanimously on Wednesday to approve a treaty allowing Armenia to join a trade bloc of former Soviet states that President Vladimir V. Putin has championed as an alternative to the European Union.
The bloc, now called the Eurasian Economic Union, already includes Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia, with Armenia and Kyrgyzstan on the path to membership. Mr. Putin envisions it as a counterweight to the European Union and a better guarantor of the region’s economic interests.The bloc, now called the Eurasian Economic Union, already includes Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia, with Armenia and Kyrgyzstan on the path to membership. Mr. Putin envisions it as a counterweight to the European Union and a better guarantor of the region’s economic interests.
Tensions have emerged in recent months, however, as Russia has come under economic pressure as a result of sanctions imposed by the West as punishment for the Kremlin’s intervention in Ukraine. Tensions have emerged in recent months, however, as Russia has come under economic pressure as a result of sanctions imposed by the West over the Kremlin’s intervention in Ukraine.
Russia’s mounting economic worries, including a steep decline in the ruble and a simultaneous slide in global oil prices, have weighed on its closest trading partners, particularly Belarus.Russia’s mounting economic worries, including a steep decline in the ruble and a simultaneous slide in global oil prices, have weighed on its closest trading partners, particularly Belarus.
Russian authorities late last month banned the transit of Western products from Belarus through Russia to other countries, including Kazakhstan, partly out of concern that such shipments were being used to violate Russia’s retaliatory sanctions against Europe, which prohibit the import of most European agricultural products. The Russian authorities late last month banned the transit of Western products from Belarus through Russia to other countries, including Kazakhstan, partly out of concern that such shipments were being used to violate Russia’s retaliatory sanctions against Europe, which prohibit the import of most European agricultural products.
Belarus has since stepped up inspections in a bid to persuade Russia to ease the restrictions, but President Aleksandr G. Lukashenko has declared publicly that Belarus would not impose restrictions that would break existing agreements with Western suppliers. Belarus has since stepped up inspections in a bid to persuade Russia to ease the restrictions. But the Belarussian president, Aleksandr G. Lukashenko, has declared publicly that Belarus would not impose restrictions that will break existing agreements with Western suppliers.
“We cannot ban transit of goods to other countries through the Belorussian territory; this is a violation of all the norms of international law,” he said at a recent government meeting. “If Russia does not want any goods to go through it by transit to Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, China, Mongolia, Turkey, then it should ban this transit.” “We cannot ban transit of goods to other countries through the Belarussian territory; this is a violation of all the norms of international law,” he said at a recent government meeting. “If Russia does not want any goods to go through it by transit to Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, China, Mongolia, Turkey, then it should ban this transit.”
Russia has expressed concerns that some truck shipments purportedly destined for Kazakhstan, including frozen meat, have been unloaded instead in Russia. Some Russian officials have also raised concerns that banned European goods were being repackaged in Belarus and sold in Russia as Belorussian products, which Belarus has denied. Russia has expressed concerns that some truck shipments purportedly destined for Kazakhstan, including frozen meat, have been unloaded instead in Russia. Some Russian officials have also raised suspicions that banned European goods are being repackaged in Belarus and sold in Russia as Belarussian products, which Belarus has denied.
The tensions over the extent to which Belarus and Kazakhstan are willing to support Russia in its conflict with the West over Ukraine have raised questions about the longer-term viability of the Eurasian Economic Union. Belarus and Kazakhstan must also ratify the treaty allowing Armenia to enter the bloc.The tensions over the extent to which Belarus and Kazakhstan are willing to support Russia in its conflict with the West over Ukraine have raised questions about the longer-term viability of the Eurasian Economic Union. Belarus and Kazakhstan must also ratify the treaty allowing Armenia to enter the bloc.
Armenia, like Ukraine, had been working toward closer political and economic relations with the European Union, including steps toward a new free trade accord. That all changed abruptly in September 2013 as Russia stepped up efforts to thwart a European Union program aimed at strengthening ties with former Soviet republics. After a meeting in Moscow that September with Mr. Putin, the Armenian president, Serzh Sargsyan, abruptly announced he was abandoning the European talks and that his country would join Russia’s economic bloc instead. Armenia, like Ukraine, had been working toward closer political and economic relations with the European Union, including steps toward a new free-trade accord.
That all changed abruptly in September 2013 as Russia stepped up efforts to thwart a European Union program aimed at strengthening ties with former Soviet republics. After a meeting in Moscow that September with Mr. Putin, the Armenian president, Serzh Sargsyan, announced that he was abandoning the European talks and that his country would join Russia’s economic bloc instead.
His decision set off some protests in Yerevan, the Armenian capital, but the country ultimately had little choice as it is heavily dependent on Russia for economic and security assistance. The value to Armenia of joining the trade bloc has been questioned, in part because the country shares no common border with any of the other member countries.His decision set off some protests in Yerevan, the Armenian capital, but the country ultimately had little choice as it is heavily dependent on Russia for economic and security assistance. The value to Armenia of joining the trade bloc has been questioned, in part because the country shares no common border with any of the other member countries.
Meanwhile, the European Union has been Armenia’s main trading partner. Its economy is severely hamstrung because borders with two of its neighbors, Turkey and Azerbaijan, are sealed as a result of longstanding conflicts. The European Union has been Armenia’s main trading partner. Its economy is severely hamstrung because borders with two of its neighbors, Turkey and Azerbaijan, are sealed as a result of longstanding conflicts.
Meanwhile, commercial activity with its southern neighbor, Iran, has been restricted because of international sanctions over that country’s efforts to develop its nuclear program. That leaves only the northern border with Georgia fully open for trade. Commercial activity with its southern neighbor, Iran, has been restricted because of international sanctions over that country’s efforts to develop its nuclear program. That leaves only the northern border with Georgia fully open for trade.
In remarks before the vote in the State Duma, Russia’s lower chamber of Parliament, the speaker, Sergei Naryshkin, compared the economic benefits of the Eurasian Union with what he described as the toxic results of Ukraine’s closer ties with Europe. In remarks before the vote in the State Duma, Russia’s lower chamber of Parliament, the speaker, Sergei Naryshkin, compared the economic benefits of the Eurasian Economic Union with what he described as the toxic results of Ukraine’s closer ties with Europe.
“In one case, that which we are discussing today, is Eurasian integration with mutual respect, understanding of the economic interests and national traditions of partners,” Mr. Naryshkin said, according to Russian news services. “And in another case, as with our brotherly Ukraine, is ignoring economic interests and national interests of the state, with violence, ruin and even the loss of human life.”“In one case, that which we are discussing today, is Eurasian integration with mutual respect, understanding of the economic interests and national traditions of partners,” Mr. Naryshkin said, according to Russian news services. “And in another case, as with our brotherly Ukraine, is ignoring economic interests and national interests of the state, with violence, ruin and even the loss of human life.”