As long as Armenia has not formally applied for European Union membership or is not very close to obtaining EU candidate status, “holding any referendum is illogical because there is essentially no basis for it,” Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has said. He made the remarks during a livestream on Facebook while discussing Armenia’s foreign policy.
“We are working within the EAEU calmly, steadily, without tension or disputes, and we will continue to do so until choosing between the European Union and the EAEU becomes unavoidable. When that happens, there will be a referendum, and the people will make the choice,” he said.
Commenting on relations with Russia, Pashinyan stated that they are currently undergoing a period of transformation, which he described as positive.
“We are establishing new relations with Russia, and I am confident that we will succeed in this process. Also because our relations with Russia are open and sincere; we have not left any dark corners in those relations,” he said.
On May 29, during a meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council in Astana, the presidents of four EAEU member states — Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus and Kyrgyzstan — adopted a statement regarding Armenia’s situation. Armenia was urged to hold a referendum as soon as possible on choosing between the EAEU and the European Union.
In recent days, various Russian officials have also stated that if Armenia continues moving toward the European Union, it could lose the opportunity to purchase Russian gas on preferential terms.
In addition, Russia has imposed restrictions on imports of Armenian products. In particular, imports of Jermuk mineral water, flowers and certain alcoholic beverages from Armenia have been banned. Restrictions have also been introduced on several agricultural products, including tomatoes, cucumbers and strawberries.
