Diplomats and officials in Brussels are shocked by the unexpected turn of Armenia, which announced its intention to join the Customs Union of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia, Secretary General of the Heritage Party Stepan Safarian who is in the Belgian capital of Brussels on an EU programme said, Novosti-Armenia reported.
On Tuesday, after talks between the Armenian and Russian Presidents, Serzh Sargsyan and Vladimir Putin, it was stated that Armenia intends to join the Customs Union of Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Russia and subsequently participate in the formation of the Eurasian Economic Community.
"For the past several hours they can hide neither their surprise, nor rage and it was obvious at all the meetings. Both the European Commission and Parliament are waiting for Yerevan to offer an explanation. I wonder what fairy-tale they will come up with this time," Safarian wrote on his Facebook page.
A summit of the EU leadership and leaders of EU Eastern Partnership programme member states will be held on November 2013 in Vilnus. During the summit it is expected to initial an Association Agreement and Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement with several countries including Armenia.
The Eastern Partnership initiative was put forward by Poland and Sweden, approved at the EU summit in Brussels in 2008 and officially established in May 2009 in Prague.
The programme's goal is the convergence of the EU to Ukraine, Armenia, Moldova, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Belarus without their admission to the EU.
The programme provides a significant increase in the level of political cooperation and broad integration of the former Soviet republics in the EU economy, increasing the amount of financial assistance for them and strengthening energy security.