Russian continued to emphasize that Armenia will suffer economic losses —as well as its membership in the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union — if Yerevan continues to pursue membership in the European Union.
The EU and the EEU are not compatible, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk said Tuesday during a conference in Moscow, stressing that the foothold by “extra-regional” forces in Armenia will have consequences for Yerevan.
Armenian government officials, beginning with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, have advocated for Armenia’s membership in the EU —a move amply criticized by Russia.
Overchuk, who also serves on two commissions with his Armenian and Azerbaijani counterparts, did not mince words when he said that Armenia will lose its tariff-free access to the Russian market as well as other economic privileges afforded it as a member of the EEU.
“Of course, speaking about Armenia, it would be impossible —even wrong— to turn a blind eye to the fact that today the political vector of this country is leaning more and more toward the West,” the Russian news agency Tass reported Overchuk as saying.
“The benefits a country gets from its proximity with Russia should be perceived as the price the Russian side pays for its security and strategic depth,” the Russian official added.
“Therefore, the arrival of some extra-regional players there will certainly have consequences,” Overchuk said, adding that Russia is interested in a stable Armenia, good trade relations — “in good fraternal relations.”
Overchuk even mocked Pashinyan, who last month said he wanted Armenia to join the EU “this year.”
“There is a well-known half-joke that Nikol Vovaevich [Pashinian] made in one of his interviews,” the Sputnik news agency quoted Overchuk as saying. “Answering a question about when he would join the EU if he were to choose, Pashinian joked ‘this year.’ Discussions are also underway regarding holding a referendum on joining the EU.”
To emphasize his point, Overchuk cited the recent assistance provided to Armenia when deadly floods hit Armenia’s Tavush and Lori provinces, killing civilians and damaging the only railway that connects Russia with Armenia through Georgia.
“When real threats arise, as was the case when natural elements actually destroyed the only railway route that connected Armenia with the rest of the world via Georgia… we, by the decision of Russian President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, promptly came to the rescue and restored the transit in record time,” Overchuk said.
Overchuk’s warning on Tuesday echoed remarks made by Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin, who also warned Armenia about the economic losses it would suffer if Yerevan continues its Westward tilt.
In another comment on Tuesday, the EU’s foreign policy spokesperson Peter Stano said that Armenia has the sovereign right to choose its partners.
“It is Armenia’s sovereign right to choose its security and defense partners. The EU continues to support all efforts to achieve progress in the process of normalizing relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan and encourages decisive steps to achieve a stable and lasting peace in the region,” Stano told Armenpress on Tuesday.
