Yerevan Keeps Downplaying Tensions With Moscow

Citing sanitary grounds, Russian authorities completely banned the import and sales of Armenia’s most popular brand of mineral water. A Russian food safety watchdog said that as many as 37 million bottles of the water produced by Armenia’s Jermuk Group will be removed Russian shops. It already blocked the sale of more than a million other Jermuk bottles late last month. The Rospotrebnadzor agency gave a similar reason for a separate ban on wine and brandy produced by three other Armenian companies.

The measures were announced two days after Russia’s state agricultural watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor slapped “temporary restrictions” on the import of cut flowers from Armenia. They came amid Russian officials’ intensifying criticism of Yerevan. State Duma speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said Pashinian can no longer “dishonestly” take economic advantage of Russia while pursuing a pro-Western foreign policy.

“As we know, those who try to sit between two chairs risk landing painfully right on their limp butt,” declared former President Dmitry Medvedev, who is currently the deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council.

Pashinian claimed to be unfazed by these developments as he campaigned for Armenia’s June 7 parliamentary elections in the northwestern Shirak province.

“There are no unsolvable issues for me,” he told local residents. “I am currently busy with the election campaign. If I receive your vote of confidence during the elections, I will return to work and resolve all issues.

“We are working with our [Russian] partners,” Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service. “Of course, all issues will be resolved.”

Medvedev doubled down on his attacks on Pashinian on Monday, however, accusing the Armenian premier of seeking to break up all ties with Russia.

“Apparently, he thinks we’re suckers,” he told the RIA Novosti news agency. “He’s made a major miscalculation and is pursuing a course that’s extremely dangerous for his country.”

“As a result of this very peculiar little individual’s actions, the entire Armenian people will lose out by losing the Russian market, the entire Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) and the economic ties built over decades,” added Medvedev.

“Armenia is not interested in severing political, economic, and all other ties with Russia,” countered Mirzoyan. “On the contrary, we are determined, we want and we will try to preserve and deepen our natural relations.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin told Pashinian on April 1 that Yerevan’s moves to eventually join the European Union are “not compatible” with Armenia’s continued membership in the Russian-led trade bloc. He said on May 9 that the Armenian leadership should choose between the blocs “as soon as possible.”

Pashinian has effectively rejected that demand, saying that Armenia will continue to strive for eventual EU membership while remaining part of the EEU if he wins the elections. He has also decided not to attend an EEU summit in Kazakhstan scheduled for May 29.

Russia is the principal market for agricultural products as well as alcoholic and soft drinks exported by Armenia. Armenian exports to Russia totaled almost $3 billion last year. By comparison, Armenian firms exported $667 million worth of goods to European Union member states.

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