If Russia can withstand sanctions, then Armenia cannot, Prime Minister and Civil Contract party candidate Nikol Pashinyan said during a campaign event in Yerevan’s Ajapnyak district while answering questions from journalists about Armenia’s balanced policy toward the European Union and Russia.
Pashinyan said official Yerevan had stated that it would not join the Western sanctions regime and would avoid steps that could place Armenia under sanctions, Sputnik Armenia reported.
“We have said this transparently to both our Russian and European Union partners. Naturally, we do not want to do anything against Russia, but we have a clear line: if we feel that by taking certain steps we ourselves could fall under sanctions, we will not take those steps. With all due respect, we ask for understanding, because if Russia can be under sanctions and endure them, Armenia cannot,” he said.
According to Pashinyan, there had been suspicions from the EU that Armenia was helping circumvent sanctions. For that reason, Armenian authorities invited EU representatives to Yerevan several times and also formally documented that Armenia was not violating sanctions regimes.
“We have formulated this position very transparently,” Pashinyan said.
He also recounted that during one of his visits to Russia, a partner told him that Armenia’s cooperation with the European Union was harming Russian interests. Pashinyan said he responded that Armenia had no desire to damage Russia’s interests and that no one could provide any example proving otherwise.
On May 9, Russian President Vladimir Putin said during a press conference that he believed it would be right both for Armenian citizens and for Moscow, Armenia’s main economic partner, for official Yerevan to decide as soon as possible on the issue of joining the European Union. He also stressed that although it was not Russia’s business, a referendum could be held to learn Armenian citizens’ views on membership. According to him, depending on the outcome, Moscow would draw conclusions and he did not rule out the possibility of a soft, civilized separation. Putin said Russia would support any decision by Armenia that benefits the country.
On May 11, Nikol Pashinyan told journalists that Armenia remains a full member of the Eurasian Economic Union and that a referendum would be held when there is an objective necessity for it.
