Russia warns Armenia it could end cheap fuel supplies if Yerevan continues EU

MOSCOW: Russia said ‌on Wednesday it had warned Armenia that it would suspend or terminate agreements on the supply of cheap oil and gas to the South Caucasus country if it pressed ahead with its bid to join the European Union.

Moscow issued the warning ahead of an election on June 7 with opinion polls giving the Civil Contract party of Prime Minister ‌Nikol Pashinyan — who ‌has forged a warmer relationship with ‌the ⁠West to Moscow’s ⁠irritation — a comfortable lead.

“The Russian Embassy has officially forwarded a letter…stating that if the process of accession to the EU continues, the Russian side will suspend or unilaterally terminate the Agreement on Cooperation in the Supply ⁠of Natural Gas, Petroleum Products and ‌Rough Diamonds,” Maria Zakharova, Russian ‌Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, told the RIA news ‌agency.

Armenia, a landlocked nation of around 3 ‌million, has traditionally had close ties to Russia. It hosts Russian military bases and is heavily dependent on Russian energy imports. It imported 2.7 billion cubic ‌meters (bcm) of gas last year, 82 percent of which came from Russia, according ⁠to ⁠the Interfax news agency.

But ties with Moscow have frayed in recent years as Yerevan has sought to deepen its ties to Brussels and Washington. Moscow earlier this month accused Armenia of being drawn into what it described as the EU’s “anti-Russian orbit.”

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Yerevan on Tuesday and signed a strategic partnership agreement with Armenia’s foreign minister. Armenia has also adopted a law launching its EU accession process.

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