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3/2/14

Armenia showing their "true colors" - by joining Russia's Customs Uniion mid-April

 Armenia says it will be ready to join a Russia-led customs union within weeks.

Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharian said in Yerevan on March 1 that his country will accomplish all necessary tasks by mid-April in order to join the CIS Customs Union, which also includes Belarus and Kazakhstan.

Kocharian said the Armenian parliament will debate the customs-union agreement after the document is approved by Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan.

The leader of the opposition Armenian National Congress coalition, former President Levon Ter-Petrossian, has called on Armenians to "accept" the nation's upcoming membership in the Russia-led customs union.

Ter-Petrossian spoke on March 1 to thousands of people who gathered in central Yerevan to commemorate the deaths of 10 people in 2008 during deadly postelection clashes between Armenian security forces and protesters.

Ter-Petrossian said Armenia needed to lean toward Russia because joining the European Union does not appear to feasible for the country at the current time.

Ter-Petrossian said Armenia is a small country that "cannot afford a civil war."

Armenia announced its intention to join the union in September and chose, in late November, not to initial an Association Agreement with the European Union.

EU-Digest

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