The Speaker of Armenia's National Assembly, Alen Simonyan, emphasized the compatibility of economic cooperation with the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and closer ties with the European Union (EU). He stated that any potential accession to the EU would be discussed in parliament as a reflection of the people’s will.
Simonyan highlighted that Armenia, as a sovereign state, independently determines its foreign policy priorities. He noted the economic benefits of EAEU membership and affirmed that there are no plans for Armenia to leave the organization.
Addressing concerns raised by the Russian side, Simonyan expressed Armenia's readiness for dialogue on all contentious issues. “I don’t think the Russian side should be so concerned about this, and I don’t believe that combining cooperation [with both entities] should be an issue,” the Speaker remarked.
Simonyan’s statement comes amid intensified negotiations between Armenia and the European Union, which recently led the Armenian government to approve a bill initiating the process of EU accession. These steps have caused some tension in Armenia’s relationship with Russia, its key partner within the EAEU.
Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, citing a statement by Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk, underscored the incompatibility of simultaneous participation in the EAEU and the EU due to differences in trade tariffs and customs regulations.
Overchuk recently commented that Russia views Armenia’s discussion of the EU accession bill as the first step toward exiting the EAEU. He warned that such a decision could lead to a significant increase in energy and food prices in Armenia, along with a 70-80% reduction in Armenian exports.
