The Effects of Armenia's Decision to Join the Customs Union

Armenia's Sept. 3 decision to join the Russian-led Customs Union solidifies Yerevan's place in Moscow's push to integrate former Soviet states into its orbit while limiting the influence of the West. Armenia's eventual accession to the economic bloc effectively closes the discussion over the country's inclusion into similar EU-led trade deals, and a day after Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian declared his country's intentions to join the Customs Union, the Armenian Parliament canceled hearings it was to hold over negotiations with the European Union regarding its association and free trade agreements. The decision will also impact the ongoing political evolution in the Caucasus region and could bring Armenia's neighbor Georgia further into Russia's economic and political orbit as well.