Pashinyan assured that Armenia attaches importance to and develops relations with Russia.

On June 1, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan expressed confidence in the possibility of building new relations with Russia in the current realities. The Armenian leader noted that relations between the two countries are at the stage of transformation. All the details are in the Izvestia article.

Pashinyan's statement

Pashinyan stressed the importance of developing ties with Russia, but added that relations between the two countries are at a stage of change.

"I have repeatedly said that our relations with the Russian Federation are in the process of transformation. I consider the transformation stage to be positive, because in the new situation we are building new relations with Russia, and I am sure that we will succeed," he said.

Commenting on Armenia's membership in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), the Prime Minister stressed that Yerevan will continue to be in the union as long as "the choice between the EAEU and the EU is inevitable."Газета.Ru ".

This issue will be decided by a nationwide referendum, he assured. Pashinyan did not specify exact dates, as he considers it premature to hold a referendum until Armenia has received candidate status.

Putin's opinion

Following his state visit to Kazakhstan on May 29, Russian President Vladimir Putin answered questions from media representatives. He warned that if Armenia withdraws from the EAEU, Russia will be forced to "curtail" all work with Yerevan in the field of investments.

"The technical regulations and phytosanitary standards of the EAEU and Europe are incompatible in many industries today, including requirements for steel grades and food products. <...> Therefore, we will have to curtail all our work in this case with Armenia in the economic sphere related to integration processes," he said, answering a question. Izvestia.

The Russian President added that upon withdrawal from the EAEU, Armenia will lose access to free trade agreements, and its citizens will need to acquire patents to work in Russia. In addition, Moscow will raise energy prices, which, according to expert estimates, will lead to a loss of at least 14% of Armenia's GDP, he assured.

At the same time, Putin stressed that the peoples of Russia and Armenia have been linked by friendship for centuries. Later, on June 1, the Russian leader congratulated Pashinyan on his birthday and pointed out the friendship between the two countries.

Statement by the EAEU leaders

Following the results of the Eurasian Economic Forum, the EAEU leaders issued a joint statement on May 29. It was signed by Putin, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, Leader of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov. They called on Yerevan to hold a referendum on EU membership.

"We share the position on the need to hold a national referendum in the Republic of Armenia as soon as possible on joining the European Union or remaining in the Eurasian Economic Union," the joint statement said.

The reason for this position was Yerevan's preparation for joining the EU, which, as noted, poses risks to the economic security of the EAEU member states and may harm the countries of the union. The statement also stressed that at the next summit of the association in December 2026, members of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council will have to report to the leaders of the states on the possible consequences of the suspension of the EAEU Treaty with respect to Armenia.

Economic risks for Armenia

Professor of the Department of International Economic Relations of the RUDN University. Patrice Lumumba's Anna Pak explained to Izvestia on May 18 that Armenia's withdrawal from the EAEU could negatively affect the country's economy, lead to lower exports and higher business costs. According to her, in this case, the costs of companies that export fruit and vegetable products and alcoholic beverages will increase. The expert noted that almost 90% of Armenian alcoholic beverages exports go to the EAEU countries.