Russia Says Armenia Risks Losing EAEU Benefits

Armenia could lose all privileges it currently enjoys within the framework of the Eurasian Economic Union, the EAEU, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said.

“We have relations with Armenia, and those relations are close and allied. However, at the same time, they are complicated. Given how the West is trying to pull Armenia — along with some other CIS members — into its orbit and sever Armenia’s mutually beneficial economic, trade and investment ties with its partners in the CIS and the EAEU,” he said, according to RIA Novosti.

Lavrov stressed that relations between Moscow and Yerevan will be discussed at the Eurasian Economic Union summit scheduled for late May in Kazakhstan. At the same time, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had earlier stated that he would be unable to attend the meeting because of the election campaign.

“That would, of course, be regrettable, because this is a good opportunity to discuss the issues that remain unresolved,” the minister added.

Earlier, the Russian president repeatedly stressed that Armenia has the sovereign right to choose its partners, but at the same time cannot belong to both the EU and EAEU customs unions. He also recalled that Armenia has received substantial benefits from membership in the Eurasian Economic Union in areas such as agriculture, manufacturing, migration and customs duties.