Pashinyan Responds to Threats from Moscow: Armenia Must Have Alternatives

KOTAYK – Minister Nikol Pashinyan has responded to statements coming from Russia, saying it is illogical to threaten Armenia with higher costs or economic pressure.

“The Armenian people must have an alternative: whether to be part of the Eurasian Economic Union or the European Union. I am not the one who will decide that — you will decide. My task is to make sure you have alternatives, and you do have alternatives,” Pashinyan said.

He added that partners who respond to Armenia’s choices with threats, even indirect ones, are acting against their own interests.

“They should be making offers to the Armenian people, saying: we will do this good thing, we will do that good thing. Instead, they say: we will do this bad thing, we will do that bad thing. That is illogical,” Pashinyan said.

Referring to Armenia’s regional role, the prime minister said the country is becoming a “Crossroads of Peace.”

“This means Armenia will not be a country of thousands or millions, but a country of billions and trillions,” he said.

Armenian authorities have repeatedly stated that they do not seek to escalate relations with Russia. Official Yerevan has also emphasized several times that, at this stage, Armenia is not preparing to withdraw from the Eurasian Economic Union.

“I will do everything to ensure that Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko does not use the EAEU against Armenia,” Pashinyan said.

“Lukashenko used to say that the Republic of Armenia was of no use to anyone. Now that same person is alarmed that Armenia is moving toward the EU and has activated his agent to try to chain Armenia the way it was chained before 2018,” the prime minister said.

Pashinyan stressed that Armenia is not planning to leave the EAEU and noted that he is the only EAEU official who is simultaneously a member of two supreme governing bodies.

“I am going to use those levers, and I will use them,” he said. “Those making empty statements do not understand that they are digging the grave of the EAEU.”

The prime minister added that after the elections he would return to EAEU meetings, while Armenia’s deputy prime minister would participate in the upcoming session.

“Armenia will not remain dependent on one ally or one gas pipeline,” Pashinyan said.

Earlier, the Russian newspaper Kommersant reported that Russia had allegedly threatened Armenia with the unilateral suspension or cancellation of an agreement on the supply of gas, petroleum products, and unprocessed diamonds if Armenia continues its process of moving toward European Union membership.

According to the report, Russian Energy Minister Sergey Tsivilev sent a letter with that message to Armenia’s Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure on May 25.

Under an agreement signed between Armenia and Russia in 2013, Russia supplies Armenia with gas, petroleum products, and unprocessed diamonds without export duties and under preferential terms related to domestic consumption.

Kommersant reported that if the agreement is terminated, Armenia may be required to compensate Russia, or the unpaid amounts could be recognized as Armenian state debt to the Russian Federation.