Pashinyan: A Referendum on Choosing Between the EU and the EAEU Is Illogical at This Stage

YEREVAN — Armenia will continue working within the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) until a choice between the EAEU and the European Union becomes unavoidable, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in a video address on June 1.

Pashinyan stressed that Armenia has not formally applied for European Union membership, making any referendum on the issue premature and illogical.

“Until Armenia officially applies for EU membership or comes very close to obtaining candidate status, holding a referendum is illogical. There is no substantive basis for it because the necessary conditions have not yet been formed. Today, such a choice remains theoretical, and putting a theoretical question to a referendum would not be particularly wise or appropriate,” the prime minister said.

At the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council summit held in Astana on May 29, four EAEU member states—Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan—issued a joint statement emphasizing the importance of holding a nationwide referendum in Armenia as soon as possible on whether the country should seek EU membership or remain in the EAEU.

Addressing Armenian-Russian relations, Pashinyan said Yerevan places great importance on developing ties with Moscow and that bilateral relations are currently undergoing a positive transformation.

“Under the new circumstances, we are building a new relationship with Russia, and I am confident that we will succeed,” Pashinyan said.

He added that relations with Russia remain open and candid, and that neither side is hiding any issues from the other.

Until the question of choosing between the EU and the EAEU becomes unavoidable, Armenia will continue to work “calmly, patiently, and without unnecessary disputes” within the Eurasian Economic Union, where it still sees considerable potential, he said.