Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan answered journalists' questions about relations with the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and the European Union (EU).
Modern.az reports that Pashinyan stated that Armenia's main goal is to create alternative opportunities for the country.
“Our goal is to create alternatives for the Republic of Armenia. I believe this is a legitimate right of every country. All states are working on this. At the current stage, the most correct position for the Eurasian Economic Union would not be to hinder this process, but rather to increase the competitiveness and attractiveness of the organization. Armenia is also ready to work in this direction,” he said.
The Prime Minister stated that a referendum on Armenia's EU membership will definitely be held, but for this, an official application must first be made and institutional preparations must be carried out.
“It is not possible to hold a referendum today. Because there is no subject for the referendum. If we hold a referendum now and ask people to choose between the European Union and the Eurasian Economic Union, citizens will rightly ask: What is our prospect of becoming an EU member? Where is the roadmap? No one has the answers to these questions right now,” Pashinyan noted.
He also touched upon the restrictions imposed by Russia on Armenian goods, emphasizing that this creates problems for both Armenia and the EAEU.
“What is happening with Armenian goods is, of course, a problem for our country. But this is a bigger problem for the Eurasian Economic Union. Because if the fundamental principles of the organization do not work, then the union itself is not functioning normally,” the Prime Minister said.
Pashinyan added that Armenia's economic and foreign policy course is not new, and the country has been implementing a diversification policy for a long time.
“This is a sovereign and fully legitimate policy. Not only us, but all states and governments pursue a diversification policy,” he emphasized.
Answering journalists' questions about whether Armenia compares its trade turnover with the EU and EAEU, Pashinyan stated that the main issue now is not to make comparisons.
“Today, the main issue is to create alternatives for Armenia. Some of our colleagues in the Eurasian Economic Union voiced opinions such as 'no one is waiting for Armenia, no one needs it.' We took this not as a negative, but as a positive message and started working to show the opposite,” the Armenian Prime Minister said.
Pashinyan also emphasized that no foreign center can force Armenia to cut humanitarian ties with Russia.
“If any country has levers to force us to do something, they are not located in Brussels, nor in the West, nor in the South, nor in the East,” he added.
