Armenia gets money, safety, Karabakh status quo in EEU accession: mediaOctober 21, 2014 - 17:03 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Integration of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kirghizia in the Eurasian Union will cost Russia $5,2 billion in annual expenditures, Gazeta.ru said. According to the online newspaper, Armenia managed to benefit from its tactic of delaying accession to the Union, gaining a right to 1,13% of total customs duties from the import of goods to the Eurasian Economic Union territory. The country was also given right to establish own rates (different from EEU-set ones) for a number of goods. As a member of EEU, Armenia will seek reduction of gas tariffs from $270 to $180 per 1000 cubic meters. (In reality, the cost of the gas at the border with Armenia is $189 per 1000 cubic meters – Editor.) And most importantly, the country will be getting safety guarantees in a protracted conflict with Azerbaijan and preservation of status quo for Nagorno Karabakh. Belarus was able to win a long dispute with Moscow over the oil product duties to gain additional $1,5 billion into the budget. Kazakhstan has so far been a losing party in the Customs Union accession deal, with the country’s exports dropping 4% ($7 billion). Moscow will allocate $1 billion for Kirghizia’s accession to the EEU. Related links: Top stories Six total incidents have burned 19 old-growth trees. Friday night 8 trees were torched along the beautiful main entrance. The EU does not intend to conduct military exercises with Armenia, Lead Spokesperson for EU Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Peter Stano says. Hikmet Hajiyev has said that there is no place for USAID operation in Azerbaijan any longer. A telephone conversation between Putin and Pashinyan before the CSTO summit is not planned, Peskov says. Partner news | Czech-Armenian military cooperation discussed in Yerevan A delegation led by the Director General for the Industrial Cooperation Division of the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic visited Armenia. Ex-Karabakh leader moved to solitary confinement cell in Baku, his son says David Vardanyan is the son of former Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan who who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. Freedom House concerned by mounting reports of police violence in Armenia Freedom House urged Armenian authorities to investigate this pattern of excessive force and inhumane treatment. CSTO recognizes Armenia’s sovereign right to withdraw Tasmagambetov has said that if Armenia decides to leave the organization, “it will be the sovereign right of Armenia.” |