Throughout the month of October, Partnership for Open Society in collaboration with The Media Center and other key partners will be organizing a series of events, titled “Armenia at the Crossroads of Development: Toward Europe or Russia?”.
The series, which will include public discussions, debates, and media events, is aimed at better understanding the implications of joining the Customs Union, and will include topics ranging from an assessment of the economic impact, a critical look at the legitimacy of the president’s decision, a discussion on the role of national values, and the ramifications for other European integration processes such as education. A team of national experts representing a wide spectrum of opinions will be joined by RA Government officials, politicians, and various European ambassadors and representatives to discuss and debate these and other topics.
The September 3rd surprise announcement by President Serzh Sargsyan that Armenia would be joining the Customs Union, foregoing the EU Association Agreement, has disrupted a four year negotiation and reform process. This decision has long-term and far reaching implications on almost every aspect of social, political, and economic life in Armenia. This sudden U-turn by the Armenian Government has left Armenian civil society with many unanswered questions.
The purpose of this series is to provide a forum for raising these questions with the relevant stakeholders, experts, and policymakers, and to increase the quality of discourse around issues related to this historic decision. The inaugural event of the series will be held on October 9th, at Congress Hotel, titled “Armenia’s Strategic Challenges to Socio-Economic Development” and will focus on economic implications.
Founded in November of 2003, the Partnership for Open Society is an open coalition of over 60 organizations, whose purpose is to support and safeguard democratic reforms in Armenia. For more information, please visit www.partnership.am.