Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan took part in the extended session of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council in Cholpon-Ata. In addition to the prime ministers of the member states of the Eurasian Economic Union, the representatives of Iran, Uzbekistan and Cuba also participated in the latter.

Before the session, the joint video shooting ceremony of the Prime Ministers took place.

Prime Minister Pashinyan delivered a speech, in which he specifically stated:

“Dear heads of governments,
Dear participants of the session,

First of all, let me sincerely thank the Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic, Adilbek Kasimaliev, for the traditional warm welcome and the high level of organization of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council session.

I would like to welcome the distinguished representatives of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Republic of Cuba.

For the Republic of Armenia, strengthening cooperation with the member states of the Eurasian Economic Union continues to be one of the priorities of foreign policy and foreign economic policy.

This approach will also be reflected in the program of the new Government, which I have been entrusted with leading.

At the same time, I would like to emphasize that Armenia consistently advocates adherence to the principles underlying the Eurasian Economic Union.

One of the fundamental principles of the Eurasian Economic Union is the provision of free movement of goods, services, capital and labor.

Unfortunately, these principles are not fully implemented in practice.

Certain restrictions and administrative measures continue to hinder the full functioning of the common market, reducing the predictability of business conditions and the efficiency of integration processes.

The Republic of Armenia consistently provides the most favorable, equal and non-discriminatory conditions for the activities of businessmen of all EAEU member states. We consistently proceed from the principle that a similar approach should be applied throughout the territory of the Eurasian Economic Union.

For this very reason, we consider it fundamentally important that any measures that may affect the access of goods and services of member states to the common market are adopted exclusively in accordance with EAEU law, on the basis of agreed procedures and within the framework of constructive interaction between competent authorities.

Ignoring such issues can not only inhibit the further development of the Eurasian Economic Union, but also negatively affect the attitude of the citizens of our countries and the business community towards it.

After all, such problems cease to be the problems of an individual member state. They become the common problem of the whole union.

It is for this reason that we need to eliminate emerging obstacles in time, prevent the decline of trade and economic relations within the EAEU, minimize business risks related to reputation, as well as consistently strengthen mutual trust.

It should also be acknowledged that the strategic goals set by EAEU in a number of directions have not yet been fully realized. This means that today we need to focus not only on the discussion of new initiatives, but also on the practical implementation of already adopted decisions, speeding up the coordination procedures and increasing the efficiency of the work of EAEU institutions.

Dear colleagues,

I would also like to refer to the objective economic indicators that convincingly testify that the participation of the Republic of Armenia in the Eurasian Economic Union is based on the fulfillment of mutual obligations, and not on obtaining unilateral advantages.

In 2025, Armenia transferred about 319 million US dollars to the total budget of EAEU import duties, while the amount of funds distributed in favor of Armenia was about 175 million US dollars.

Thus, Armenia transferred significantly more funds to the general budget of the Union than it received, which is a direct confirmation of our responsible position and conscientious fulfillment of obligations within the EAEU framework.

The dynamics of mutual trade is no less telling.

According to the results of 2025, imports from EAEU member states amounted to about 5 billion US dollars, while during the same period, the export of Armenian products to the Union market amounted to about 3.2 billion US dollars.

These figures show that the Republic of Armenia is not only a participant of the EAEU common market, but also an important consumer of goods produced and services provided in the member states of the Union.

Dear colleagues,

The Republic of Armenia has taken note of the May 29, 2026 statement of the leaders of the four EAEU member states, in which support was found for the idea of ​​holding a referendum on Armenia’s accession to the European Union.

As you know, in 2025, Armenia adopted the law “On the initiation of the process of accession of the Republic of Armenia to the European Union”. The strategic goal of adopting such a law is to create an alternative for our country.

We understand that simultaneous membership of the Eurasian Economic Union and the European Union is impossible.

However, the fact of the adoption of the mentioned law does not mean that Armenia has the opportunity to become a member of the EU today. When Armenia is qualitatively ready for EU membership in the future, it will not mean that our country will automatically become a member of the EU. For this, the agreement of the EU member states and the approval of the citizens of Armenia will still be necessary.

On the other hand, it is obvious that it is impossible to submit this issue to the decision of the citizens of Armenia without carrying out preliminary institutional preparations. And even after that, it will be necessary to apply to the EU with an official application for membership in the European Union.

After that, it will also be necessary to obtain the status of a candidate country for EU membership.

Without going through at least most of the listed stages, holding a referendum on the mentioned issue will be meaningless and will mean that we expect an answer from our citizens to a question that simply does not exist at the moment.

That would mean that we expect the citizens of Armenia to make a choice between two alternatives, one of which does not exist.

It would be disrespectful to our people and practically illegitimate. I thank my EAEU partners for recognizing the legitimate right of Armenia, like any other EAEU country, to develop relations with various partners and to create trade and economic alternatives for their own country.

Moreover, I consider such an approach useful for the EAEU, because the existence of possible alternatives is the factor that will contribute to increasing the competitiveness and attractiveness of the EAEU.

And I think no one will deny that in this regard we have work to do within EAEU. We are ready and offer to work in that direction.

On the other hand, I must note that in the current relationship between Armenia and the European Union, there is no legal, economic or political obligation that contradicts the status of our relationship within and within the EAEU.

Dear colleagues,

The Republic of Armenia is based on the principle that the Eurasian Economic Union should not be considered as an area of ​​restrictions. We are convinced that the cooperation of EAEU member states with third partners should not be perceived as a zero-sum game.

The Republic of Armenia consistently advocates for the preservation of the fundamental principles of the Treaty on the Eurasian Economic Union, the equality of rights of the member states and the further development of practical, mutually beneficial cooperation.

EAEU will be more attractive the more consistently we keep our own agreements and respect each other’s sovereign rights.

It is in this that we see the basis of trust, stability and long-term success.

Thank you for your attention.”

Minutes of discussed and accepted issues were signed during the session. They refer to cooperation and regulations in the fields of transport, e-commerce, education.

Members of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council also had a meeting with the President of Kyrgyzstan, Sadir Zhaparov.

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