Pashinyan says Armenia feels "not bad" in EAEU
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that the republic is doing well in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), which is confirmed by figures. He made the corresponding statement during a press conference he convened on January 31, broadcast by the News.am ("Armenian News") agency.
"Frankly speaking, we don't feel bad about the EAEU. The figures speak for themselves. Moreover, we are interested in deepening and developing our relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran. But on the other hand, we can't ignore the aspiration of a very tangible part of our people to shape elections, options for Armenia's future," he said, emphasizing the importance of talking about the strategic future of the country.
According to Pashinyan, the policy of the Armenian authorities is aimed at ensuring that Armenia has a choice, as without it "there is nothing to think about."
"We should form a choice so that whatever choice we make, this choice would be organic, real and not fake," the Armenian prime minister explained.
He noted that the country will continue to adhere to this course.
Earlier, on January 24, the Russian Foreign Ministry pointed out that Armenia believed in groundless promises of the United States and the European Union (EU) to replace Russia, but it is the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) that ensures Yerevan's security, and membership in the EAEU is the guarantee of its economic prosperity.
On the same day, the Armenian parliament's Commission on European Integration approved a draft law on the start of the republic's accession to the European Union. It is now expected to be considered at the parliamentary session from February 11 to 14 as part of the main agenda.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, commenting on the bill, pointed out that it is hypothetically impossible to combine membership in the EU and the EAEU, as the two associations have a large number of differences. He drew attention to the fact that interaction with the EAEU is beneficial for Yerevan.
On January 29, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk said that Armenia's accession to the EU will mean the country's withdrawal from the EAEU, which in turn will have certain consequences. He also emphasized that the process of the country's accession to the EU will take a long time and called to wait for the results of the parliamentary hearings.
