No Objective Need for Armenia to Leave the EAEU, Pashinyan Says

YEREVAN — Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated that there is currently no objective necessity for Armenia to withdraw from the Eurasian Economic Union. He made the remarks during a campaign stop in Yerevan while responding to recent comments by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Putin had previously suggested that Armenia must decide whether to remain in the EAEU or pursue what he described as a “civilized separation” in order to move toward the EU.

“I do not agree with the term ‘divorce.’ We sometimes confuse interstate relations with marriage, and I do not agree with that formulation,” Pashinyan said. “Armenia is a full member of the Eurasian Economic Union, just like the other member states, and as long as we remain a member, we will fully participate in all decision-making processes.”

Pashinyan emphasized that Armenia respects its EAEU partners and remains committed to a balanced foreign policy based on mutual respect and recognition of shared interests.

“We have not had, do not have, and will not have the goal of harming Russia’s interests,” he said. “We will continue to act in accordance with Armenia’s state interests while deepening and developing our relations with the Russian Federation, understanding that an inevitable transformation is taking place in those relations.”

He added that a referendum on Armenia’s geopolitical orientation would only be held if there were a genuine practical necessity.

Putin had earlier argued that it would be logical to hold a referendum to determine the Armenian public’s position on EU membership and warned that the developments in Ukraine began with its attempts to integrate with the EU.