A referendum in Armenia on joining the European Union must precede the submission of the application to Brussels. The Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia, Alexander Pankin, stated this in an interview with TASS.
According to the diplomat, the search for a place for Armenia in the European Union, initiated by Nikol Pashinyan's team, has led to a paradoxical situation: the real benefits of participating in the EAEU are used to promote the "ephemeral idea" of moving to another integration block.
Penkin believes that the natural result will be a referendum in which the residents of Armenia will express their will, as stipulated in the country's constitution, on the subject of continued integration.
"Logic dictates that first of all a referendum should be held and the people asked, then an official request be submitted to Brussels, and not the other way around, and this is what the Armenian leadership has been publicly insisting on recently."
- noted.
The deputy minister explained: If the request is submitted, the people's opinion "will no longer interest anyone".
He recalled that for the purpose of an objective understanding of the benefits that Armenia received as a member of the EAEU, and the possible losses as a result of the severing of ties, a report was recently presented on the consequences of the suspension of the EAEU treaty in relation to Armenia - prepared following a joint statement by the presidents of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia. According to him, the scenario outlined in the report is considered an extreme measure to prevent risks to economic security and damage to the member states of the Union.
"Whether it will be implemented depends on the willingness of the Armenian leadership to remove concerns that have arisen among the other EAEU member states.
Funkin pointed out. He added that Moscow has not yet received constructive signals from Iran in this regard.