Armenia’s Strategic Setback

In a largely unexpected development, on September 3, 2013, Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian announced a dramatic U-turn in Armenian policy. While in Moscow, after being summoned to a meeting with his Russian counterpart, the Armenian president promised Russian officials that Armenia would join the Russian-led Customs Union, and would support Moscow’s efforts to “integrate” the former Soviet space. That decision effectively ended Armenia’s plans to initial an Association Agreement, and the related Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) with the European Union, set for the Vilnius Summit in late November 2013.

Authors: Richard Giragosian
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