Moscow cannot accept the policy adopted by official Yerevan regarding membership in the Eurasian Economic Union, under which Armenia intends to retain membership until it succeeds in joining the European Union, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin said after a meeting of a special Russian Security Council working group.
“Of course, Moscow cannot accept the line currently pursued by Armenia’s leadership, namely the policy of maintaining membership in the Eurasian Economic Union until, so to speak, transitioning to membership in the European Union. Such approaches cannot satisfy us; they are absolutely unacceptable for us,” he said, according to Sputnik Armenia.
Galuzin also recalled that Armenia signed the treaty on the Eurasian Economic Union as well as documents concerning the union’s further development through 2030 and 2045.
“It clearly states that Armenia, like the other members of the union, undertakes to fulfill the provisions of the treaty and to refrain from actions that could jeopardize or hinder Eurasian economic integration,” he said.
The Russian deputy foreign minister added that simultaneous membership in both unions is fundamentally impossible.
“It is impossible to be in two unions at the same time. As they say, Armenia cannot dance at two weddings simultaneously,” Galuzin added, according to RIA Novosti.
He also said that Armenia’s possible accession to the European Union is largely a populist slogan, which Brussels uses in relation to various countries. According to him, similar approaches were previously applied in the cases of Ukraine and Moldova and are now also being used toward Armenia.
During talks with Nikol Pashinyan on April 1, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that simultaneous participation in the customs unions of the European Union and the EEU is impossible. Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov also said Armenia’s authorities are attempting to “sit on two chairs,” which harms the development of bilateral Russian-Armenian relations. On May 9, Putin proposed discussing Armenia’s EU-related plans during the upcoming Eurasian Economic Union summit.
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