On January 19 regular Talks of Generations on RA-EU Comprehensive and Enhanced Agreement took place in “Hodvac3’’ club. The theme was “Victory or Illusion of Victory of And-And?’’ Speakers of the meeting were political scientist, director of the Analytical Center on Globalization and Regional Cooperation Stepan Grigoryan, advocate, journalist and Chairperson at Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly-Vanadzor office Artur Saqunc, ACoYA chairman, historian, politologist Areg Kochinyan, ACoYA analyst, politologist Rafayel Avdalyan.
Each of the speakers expressed his opinion on Comprehensive and Enhanced Cooperation Agreement concluded in Brussels, on November 24, 2017. The speakers underscored the impossibility of “And-And’’ victory in the aforementioned agreement, first of all arguing, that there are huge differences between the two civilizations. Stepan Grigoryan mentioned the importance of the agreement primarily because it gives a chance of alternative. In line with advocate, journalist Artur Saqunc’s deep conviction, nation-army concept cannot exist in the context of this agreement. Opinions and standpoints were voiced on the liberalization of visa regime with the EU countries, on differences between EU-RA and EAEU-RA agreements, as well as on the issue of territorial integrity and self-determination in Nagorno Karabakh conflict in the context of this agreement.
ACoYA chairman Areg Kochinyan marked that the “And-And” is a victory to the extent that both are agreements, both create an opportunity to enter into diverse integration processes, but “And- And’’ is not applicable in this case, because on one hand we have become fully-fledged member of the economic union, on the other hand, essentially, political and cultural agreement with other organization, as the tool to break criminal-oligarchic situation was omitted from the agreement. Taking into account differences between this and the association agreement of September 3, Rafayel Avdalyan noted, that this agreement has more positive elements, than the association agreement only because three main principles of Helsinki Act are cited.
At the end of the talk Stepan Grigoryan and Artur Saqunc expressed his appreciation for the efforts of ACoYA in organizing such events and bringing forth urgent issues.