“Ukrainian dilemma and the strategic decision of Armenia”: The seminar of the Political Developments Research Center in Washington, D.C.

“Armenia’s decision to join the Customs Union was a strategically important decision”, said Vilen Khlgatyan, the Vice-Chairman of the Political Developments Research Center (PDRC) during his speech/lecture at the Institute of World Politics (IWP) in Washington, D.C.

The lecture, sponsored by the Kosciuszko Chair of Polish Studies, was attended by a diverse grouping of diplomats, academics, scholars, and professionals of international relations.

His presentation was on Ukraine’s choice of signing an Association Agreement (AA) with the European Union or joining the Russian led Customs Union; as well as why Armenia chose to join the Customs Union in September of this year.

Mr. Khlgatyan spoke about the implications of Ukraine signing an AA and how that would affect the socio-political and economic development of the country, as well as the re-balancing in Kyiv’s relations with Russia and the CIS should Ukraine decide to go with Brussels instead of Moscow.

The basic outline of an AA, what that required from the Yanukovych administration and what it would mean for them, and Ukraine’s hesitancy to fully commit to a European course of integration were touched upon as well.

Moreover, the meeting between Vladimir Putin and Viktor Yanukovych in early November was highlighted as well due to the secretive nature of the meeting and the strong likelihood that lucrative investment offers were promised by President Putin in return for Kyiv declining to sign an AA at the Vilnius summit in late November.

In the latter portion of the lecture the vice-chairman of PDRC touched upon the strategic decision official Yerevan made in early September to forgo three years of negotiations with the EU so as to initial an AA, and instead join the Customs Union, which is set to morph into the Eurasian Union in 2015. How Armenia’s decision signifies the end phase of Armenia’s nearly 20 year foreign policy strategy of complementarity, and why this policy was no longer sustainable.

Mr. Khlgatyan ended the lecture by mentioning a few likely options the Armenian government would pursue in its foreign policy.