- Do you think Armenia can join the European Union in future?

- The problem of joining Armenia the European Union should be one of the main priorities of the foreign policy of the present and future of our country because joining EU will create new possibilities for Armenia to appear in the new geopolitical, as well as economic realities, will enable to appear in an absolutely new system of security. It will enable us, really to input such values in our country, with which today the modern world goes forward. And moves rather effectively.

- And when it will be possible?

- That will depend on the adoption of the rules of game, to which Armenia will be ready. In fact, being a member of the Council of Europe, we haven’t yet fulfilled all the obligations that we’ve undertaken while joining that organization. It means that the period, first of all, will be conditioned by the process of the reforms, the degree of our responsibility, and, of course, also external factors. I think that if the country goes through the road of deepening democracy, if the country goes through the road of completely putting the rules of game accepted in the European family, then I’m convinced that we can speak about not only joining Armenia the European Union, but also our region during the upcoming ten-fifteen years. Eventually, those, who impede the democratic peaceful changes, cause bloody revolutions.

- In your mind, when can Armenia apply for beginning the negotiations of joining EU? How will we get prepared?

- I think that today it’s still early for Armenia to apply for the beginning of negotiations of joining European Union. It’s early because our country is not still ready with neither political, nor economic considerations. First of all, we’ll have to be and display as a full member of the Council of Europe, first, we should improve the legislation of our country, bring forth and reach our deeds in our country to pan-European standards, for instance following the Baltic countries. Then we’ll think to apply the EU for beginning the negotiations. I think it’s wrong to apply for it before the fixed time. Moreover, it’s well known that Georgia and Ukraine were intended to make such effort, and the EU response wasn’t late. Those factors are numerous. We should make serious studies of forming an EU unified entity in the aspect of the other countries joining EU. During the last period the joining of other countries to EU was accompanied by rather complicated and long lasting process, which supposed implementation of democratic, legal, social, economic and political improvements in different spheres of the state and public life of those countries. Those improvements, naturally, are conditioned by the content of EU integration process. It means definition of the same rules of game. Who want to enter EU, should retain all the rules of the game. And that means that we should eliminate the existing negative factors in the integration processes. In the aspect of Armenia those factors are numerous, first of all, I mean the necessity of the real deepening of the democratic reforms, the formation of the legislative field in compliance with EU standards, the distinct use of the adopted laws, the consistent fighting against corruption and numerous other factors. Today we can say that in the economic, democratic and other aspects, the factors are numerous in Armenia, which have an impact on the EU full integration. We should work consistently and purposefully for overcoming those factors.

- What changes can have in EU future programmes the failure of EU Constitution draft?

- The failure of EU Constitution draft, I think, simply brought a pause in the future steps of EU enlargement. That pause also was necessary to understand the psychology of the joined countries because the countries forming EU, France, Holland, Germany, other countries and the societies living there, were not sill, in fact, ready for the widening of such volume, the failure of the Constitution draft in two countries. One of the reasons was that Wider Europe should be able to overcome the philosophical, psychological factors of newly coming countries, of course, also the economic factors. It meant the entrance of the cheap labour force to European countries that naturally, brings forth some concern of the peoples of other countries that the cheapening of the labour force market can make a serious blow to the living standard. There are also different approaches in connection with the membership of Turkey to EU. There are factors, which are also conditioned by political considerations. The priority is that, really, there was a necessity of pause and after some time that process will continue.

- What perspectives do you see from the speculation “of the Armenian Cause” in the process of Turkey joining the EU? Will Europe be consistent for the fulfillment of the requirements, or a goal of winning merely time is pursued here?

- If today Turkey wishes to become EU member, it should be able to fully fulfill the EU requirements. And that means also establishment of friendly relations with Armenia. A country, which wishes to join EU, should find courage in itself to solve the problems that exist in Armenian-Turkish relations, and it refers to the recognition of the Genocide and establishment of diplomatic relations. The same refers to the Cyprus problem. The problems concerning Armenia in this context, yes, can be used by the European countries and European structures. I don’t think that here the goal is to win time. I don’t think either that only by the problems of Armenia is conditioned Turkey’s joining or not joining EU. Simply, it should be one of the requirements, and the foreign policy of Armenia should be flexible: with as much initiative we’ll be able to present our problems to European structures and EU key countries, so much we can, really, expect effective solutions.

- Has Armenia alternative to EU membership?

- Any country can always have an alternative. It’s another problem, where will take that country the alternative to. I think that EU is the best alternative for Armenia, if one day it will become reality, because it will give opportunity to integrate our country, our society into the civilized world and provide dignified way of life for our people.

- How will be the NKR status if the three Transcaucasus countries together join EU?

- I don’t want to speak today about the status of NK because the negotiation process goes on. If speaking "with then" has no sense, we shouldn’t go ahead of the events. Simply, we should be aware that EU needs Caucasus with conflicts and we should dare to get deprived of conflicts to establish good relations with our neighbours. Eventually, the hope of progress is more important for me than the sad memory of the past.

- What are, in your opinion, the main expectations of RA from EU membership: high living standards, increase of the political influence and solution of problems, democracy and decent protection of human rights, etc.?

- The enumerated expectations and numerous other expectations that aren’t enumerated. The enumerated ones are sufficient basis why Armenia should be EU member.

- What will give Armenia to Europe? What can be the main reason of EU?

- The peculiarity of a new type of union of the states of the European Union is that the member countries retain their national traditional character. In a political and economic structure dozens of nations retain their identity, remaining faithful to its thousands of years traditions. I think that Armenia will its identity to the European Union in the aspect of culture, possibility of dialog of west and east in the region. We won’t forget that our geographical position reserved for us a role of the crossroads of civilization, and why not, also in future.

Tatevik Shahunyan