On December 16th at 11 AM at the Congress Hotel Ball Room, the “Partnership for Open Society” initiative will hold a discussion titled, “After Vilnius: Confronting The Challenges and Identifying The Hidden Opportunities Ahead”. The discussion is the third event within the series, “Armenia at the Crossroads of Development: Toward Europe or Russia?”, which includes public discussions, debates leading up to the Vilnius summit and beyond, aimed at better understanding the implications of joining the Customs Union.
This discussion will provide a forum for engaging in informative and constructive dialog on the Vilnius summit itself, and ways to move forward. Representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National Assembly Committee on European Integration and the EU Delegation in Yerevan have been invited to speak and present their official positions. The panel will also include members of civil society, who were present at the Vilnius summit, Participants will include Sona Ayvazyan from the Transparency International Anticorruption Center, Levon Barseghyan of the Asparez Journalists Club, Larisa Minasyan of Open Society Foundations Armenia, and Artur Sakunts of the Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly – Vanadzor Office to discuss their perspectives on what challenges and hidden opportunities exist after the summit. Stepan Grigoryan from the Analytical Center on Globalization Regional Cooperation will offer his analysis on the implications of the Vilnius summit for the future of Armenian development. The presentations will be followed by a Q&A and open discussion with RA Government officials, politicians, and various European ambassadors and representatives in attendance. As part of a collaborative effort with the Media Center, the event will also be live streamed at www.A1plus.am and will be available for viewing on the Media Center’s Youtube channel.
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.
Since October, the “Partnership for Open Society” has continued held public discussions, debates, and events focused on addressing these questions, and have included topics ranging from an assessment of the economic impact, a critical look at the legitimacy of the president’s decision, and the ramifications for other European integration processes.
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.