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On October 24, 2013,  V. Putin, President of the Russian Federation, G. Lukashenko, President of Belarus, N. Nazarbaev, President of Kazakhstan approved the application of the President of the Republic of Armenia S. Sargsyan and President of Kirgizstan, A. Atambaev, to join the  Customs Union and the Eurasian Economic Union.

The statement which may seem regular at first sight, in fact is challenge to not only the citizens of Armenia and Kirgizstan but also to the human civilization and universal values.

The applications on membership to the aforementioned Unions by Armenia and Kirgizstan were submitted by the Presidents of those two countries, accompanied with a gross violation of democratic principles and without awareness of the citizens of those countries and consideration of their opinion.

Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan serve as the 21^st century Triple Alliance, the prototype of which was the collation created between Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, and Imperial Japan during the first quarter of 20^th century. Almost one century later once again a process of apparently coercive accession of sovereign countries into a club of authoritarian and totalitarian countries takes place in the Eurasian Continent, which poses a serious challenge not only to the rights, life, and security of the citizens of the coerced countries, but also to the other countries of the Continent and their citizens.

Once again in front of the international community, a reunion of authoritarian and totalitarian countries is taking place; a new systematized challenge to basic human rights and fundamental freedoms is formed.

I call upon the international, intergovernmental agencies, democratic countries, civil society institutions, and human rights organizations not to neglect the processes taking place within the framework of the Commonwealth of Independent States.

The countries, where democratic institutions are not well-established or are undergoing an arduous phase of establishment, are unable to overcome the new challenges alone.

As an agenda issue it is pressingly urgent to discuss “The modern challenges to democracy and human rights in the Eurasian Continent and methods of fighting them”.

Artur Sakunts,

Human right activist

Chairman of “Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Vanadzor” NGO