Armenia does not intend to leave the EAEU, but is preparing to apply to join the EU - Pashinyan.
Nikol Pashinyan said today that the country has no plans to leave the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), despite ongoing preparations for possible EU accession.
According to him, Armenia's partners in the EAEU are calling on Yerevan to decide on its foreign economic path and hold a parallel referendum.
"We are not going to leave the EAEU, but we are preparing to create an alternative so that citizens can make their own decisions about the future of the country," Pashinyan said at a briefing on Thursday.
He also said that in 2027–2028, Armenia will be able to formally apply to the EU to begin the process of joining as a full member. At the same time, he recalled that the country has already adopted a parallel law, but in order to hold a referendum it is necessary to go through additional procedures.
The position of the authorities raises natural questions about the consistency of foreign economic policy.
It is at least strange to simultaneously enjoy the benefits of membership in one economic union, pass a law in the National Assembly to begin the process of joining another, and prepare to submit an official application, without defining the terms and conditions for a possible exit from the first.
Against this background, presenting the demands of the EAEU partners to make a choice as something inconsistent seems strange and controversial. After all, we are talking not only about political sympathy, but about two integration societies with their own laws, duties and trade regimes.
A simple question is asked: is it possible to imagine an EU member state that is officially preparing to join the EAEU, but at the same time expects to keep all the economic benefits of EU membership unchanged?
Armenia's right to independently determine its future is beyond doubt.