Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has said that the agenda of meetings to be held within the framework of the Eurasian Economic Union in Kazakhstan on May 28 will not be easy due to the situation surrounding Armenia.

“Beyond integration-related topics, you know that the situation concerning Armenia is not simple. Armenia’s integration with the European Union is incompatible with membership in the Eurasian Economic Union. Armenia has chosen a course toward integration with another bloc. These are mutually exclusive processes. Yerevan, in accordance with Armenian legislation, must orient itself toward the European Union. A corresponding law has been adopted in Armenia, which essentially legally obliges the government and all levels of state administration to orient themselves toward European integration,” the Russian state agency TASS quoted Peskov as saying.

The Kremlin spokesperson also said that membership in the European Union is not a near-term prospect even for countries that hold candidate status. He cited Türkiye as an example, stressing that despite having been an EU candidate country for decades, Ankara has still not come close to joining the bloc.

At the same time, Peskov emphasized that the benefits Armenia receives from the EAEU are guaranteed, while whether similar guarantees could come from European integration is for Armenians themselves to decide.

“It is not for us to judge what dividends European integration may bring Armenia, but we can point to the dividends Armenia receives from membership in the Eurasian Economic Union. This amounts to annual GDP growth of several percentage points. Whether the European Union can ensure the same is probably something Armenians themselves, not us, should decide,” Peskov said.

He added that no one can convince Armenia not to leave the Eurasian Economic Union, but stressed that clarifications will nevertheless be needed.

“Of course, no one can ask Armenia otherwise, especially since it has already legally oriented itself toward the European Union. But, naturally, some clarifications will be necessary. For us, it is important that the actions of any country do not harm integration processes within the Eurasian Economic Union, because this integration is of paramount importance to us – it is an absolute priority,” Peskov underlined.

He also said it would be wrong to claim that Armenia’s fate would be decided at the May 28 meeting of EAEU member-state leaders in Kazakhstan, which Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan will not attend due to the election campaign.

“Armenia remains a member of the Eurasian Economic Union, and in any case the country will participate in the EAEU summit at the working level. The country’s top leadership is occupied with the election campaign, which is understandable,” he said.

Peskov also noted that no contacts are currently planned between the Armenian prime minister and Russian President.

“There have been contacts recently. At the moment, there are no such plans,” the Kremlin spokesperson said.