Wednesday, EU-Armenia Accord 'Not Directed Against Any Third Party' . Harry Tamrazian Armenia - Ambassador Piotr Switalski, the head of the EU Delegation in Armenia, speaks in Yerevan, 4Jul2017. A landmark agreement aimed at deepening Armenia's political and economic ties with the European Union could also benefit Russia, a senior EU diplomat said on Wednesday. In an interview with RFE/RL's Armenian service (Azatutyun.am), Piotr Switalski, head of the EU Delegation in Yerevan, insisted that the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA) signed on November 24 is "not directed against any third party." "The agreement doesn't contain any provisions which would undermine or influence negatively the interests of other countries that cooperate with Armenia," Switalski said when asked about Russian reactions to the CEPA. "I can say even more openly: we do not want to monopolize the benefits stemming from the implementation of this agreement." "We believe that if this agreement is implemented, if Armenia has stronger democracy, better rule of law, good and strong courts, a predictable and fair business environment, equitable conditions for conducting business in fields like energy, transport and so on, other partners of Armenia can only benefit from it," he said. "So I believe that indeed the official comments from other countries, including Russia, that this agreement is good for Armenia # are logical conclusions stemming from the agreement," added the envoy. A Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said last week that Moscow "respects" Yerevan's desire to forge closer ties with the EU. Russia's ambassador in Yerevan, Ivan Volynkin, likewise said CEPA provisions do not run counter to Armenia's membership in the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union (EEU). The official Russian reaction has contrasted with criticism voiced by some Russian commentators loyal to the Kremlin. In remarks aired by state-run Russian TV channels in recent days, they have claimed that the deal with the EU undermined Armenia's military and political alliance with Russia. Visiting Yerevan earlier this week, a senior representative of President Vladimir Putin's United Russia party reportedly assured Armenian leaders that such comments do not reflect Moscow's position on the issue. Watchdog Skeptical About Sarkisian's Anti-Graft Move . Karlen Aslanian Armenia - Varuzhan Hoktanian of the Armenian branch of Transparency International at a news conference in Yerevan, 15Mar2017. Armenia's leading anti-graft watchdog reacted with skepticism on Wednesday to a tougher fight against bribery and other corrupt practices ordered by President Serzh Sarkisian. Sarkisian issued the order on Tuesday when he met with the leadership of the Special Investigative Service (SIS), a law-enforcement body tasked with combatting abuse of power by various state official. "For us, the fight against corruption is a matter of national security which simply has no alternative," he said in a speech. "It's not the first time that I'm hearing that," said Varuzhan Hoktanian, the director of programs at the Anti-Corruption Center (ACC), the Armenian affiliate of Transparency International. "That has been said periodically and is repeated now. Serzh Sarkisian has repeatedly said such things since [taking office in] 2008." "So I don't see a fundamentally new anti-corruption policy here," Hoktanian told RFE/RL's Armenian service (Azatutyun.am). Armenia ranked, together with Bolivia and Vietnam, 113th out of 176 countries evaluated in Transparency International's most recent Corruption Perceptions Index released in January. Prime Minister Karen Karapetian has repeatedly pledged to tackle corruption and boost the rule of law in the country since he was named by Sarkisian to run the Armenian government in September last year. He has periodically discussed his reform agenda with Western diplomats in Yerevan. Karapetian's most recent meeting with the U.S. Ambassador Richard Mills held on October 20 reportedly focused on his government's anti-corruption efforts. In a February speech, Mills urged the authorities in Yerevan to send a "clear message from on high that corruption will not be tolerated and that no one is above the law." Parliament Panel Defends Armenia's Membership In Eurasian Union . Astghik Bedevian Armenia -- A session of the Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs in Yerevan, 29Nov2017 The Armenian parliament committee on foreign relations on Wednesday formally objected to the opposition Yelk alliance's calls for Armenia's withdrawal from the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union (EEU). A parliamentary declaration drafted by the pro-Western alliance says that membership in the EEU, effective from January 2015, has hurt the country's economy and security. The document was rejected by the ruling Republican Party (HHK) and the two other parties represented in the National Assembly when it was first circulated in September. Nevertheless, Yelk continued to press for a full-fledged parliamentary debate on the issue. The parliament committee, dominated by pro-government lawmakers, discussed and overwhelmingly voted to give a negative assessment of the Yelk motion. "This issue will not be on Armenia's political agenda as long the Republican Party (HHK) and its coalition partner [Dashnaktsutyun] are in power. Namely, at least until 2022," Armen Ashotian, the committee chairman, said just before the vote. Ashotian insisted that membership in the EEU stems from Armenia's national interests even if it has not yet lived up to the country's economic expectations. An exit from the bloc would only harm the country, he said. For their part, Yelk lawmakers reiterated their arguments against EEU membership. One of them, Edmon Marukian, claimed that the Armenian economy has not only not benefited from it but will also suffer from higher uniform import duties of EEU member states. Marukian said that Yerevan should not only leave the trade bloc of five ex-Soviet states but also seek an Association Agreement with the European Union. In that regard, another Yelk leader, Nikol Pashinian, downplayed the significance of a less far-reaching accord which Armenia signed with the EU last week. Armen Rustamian, a Dashnaktsutyun leader, disagreed, saying that Armenia can capitalize on the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA). "There has emerged a new situation where Armenia can use opportunities and gain new resources for development," he said. President Sarkisian and members of his government have repeatedly said that Armenia's economy has benefited from the EEU membership. In particular, they have cited double-digit increases in Armenian exports to Russia recorded in 2016 and so far this year. Yelk holds 9 seats in the 105-member National Assembly. Marukian admitted that the parliament committee vote means it will most probably fail to include the issue on the National Assembly agenda next week. Press Review "Zhoghovurd" scoffs at President Serzh Sarkisian's latest demands for law-enforcement authorities to fight against corruption in Armenia. The paper links them to Armenia's newly signed Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with the European Union. "It is not the first time that Serzh Sarkisian speaks of the fight against corruption," it says. "During the almost ten years of his presidency he has made statements every year about fighting against corruption and giving new impetus to that fight. His speeches on this subject have often resembled speeches of radical opposition leaders. But the situation has not changed." "Zhamanak" also sees a link between the CEPA and Sarkisian's remarks that were made at a meeting with the leadership of Armenia's Special Investigative Service (SIS). "On one hand, Sarkisian is trying to show foreign partners and the European Union in particular that he is serious about fulfilling commitments which he assumed through the agreement with the EU," comments the paper. "On the other hand, he is trying to show the strength of his domestic positions." "Hayots Ashkhar" says that the Armenia-EU deal has triggered heated debates among commentators and political analysts in Russia. "Adding to tensions in those discussions is the fact they have led to anti-Armenian propaganda by the Azerbaijani lobby that has grown entrenched in Russia," writes the paper. It says that "lobby" is portraying Armenia's European integration drive as an anti-Russian policy. "Anti-Western sentiment among many Russians has deep roots," it says. "This is why everything coming from the West is often seen as being part of a global conspiracy against their country." "Hraparak" says that President Sarkisian still keeps the political class, the media and the public guessing about his political future. "Even his inner circle is said to be uninformed about the course of his thinking," says the paper. "One thing is clear: there is a ruling majority in the country and it will be making a decision. It is also clear to all of us that in reality that majority will not decide anything. The majority has a leader who is unconditionally accepted by it and whose decisions are not negotiable for that force." (Tigran Avetisian) Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL Copyright (c) 2017 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc. 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. www.rferl.org