Pashinyan says Armenia will stay in EAEU until EU choice becomes unavoidable

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has said that Armenia will continue participating in the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) until a choice between deeper integration with the European Union and membership in the EAEU becomes unavoidable, adding that any such decision should ultimately be made by voters in a referendum.

Speaking during a livestream on Facebook on Monday, Pashinyan said Armenia's relationship with Russia remains strategically important and is entering a new and positive phase.

“We are substantially developing and attaching importance to our relations with Russia,” Pashinyan said. “Our relations with Russia are undergoing a transformation and I view that transformation positively.”

He said Armenia is building a new framework for ties with Moscow in response to changing regional and international circumstances, emphasizing that the process is based on transparency and frank dialogue.

“I am confident we will succeed because our relations with Russia are open and sincere,” he said. “We have not kept any dark corners in those relations.”

Addressing Armenia's geopolitical orientation, Pashinyan said the country would continue working within the EAEU for the foreseeable future while pursuing its broader foreign policy agenda.

“We will continue working in the EAEU until the moment when choosing between the European Union and the Eurasian Economic Union becomes unavoidable,” he said.

Pashinyan said that if such a choice eventually arises, it should be decided by the Armenian public through a referendum. However, he argued that holding a vote now would be premature because Armenia has not formally applied for EU membership and is not yet close to obtaining candidate status.

“Until Armenia has officially applied for membership in the European Union or comes very close to candidate status, holding a referendum would be illogical,” he said.

According to Pashinyan, the issue remains largely theoretical at this stage, making it difficult to present voters with a clear and concrete choice.

“Today, that choice is theoretical,” he said. “Putting a theoretical choice to a referendum is neither particularly wise nor sufficiently justified.”

Pashinyan also rejected suggestions that Armenia's engagement with the EAEU is diminishing, saying the government intends to continue its work within the bloc in a pragmatic manner and believes additional opportunities remain to be explored.

“We will continue to work calmly and steadily in the EAEU, without tension or unnecessary disputes,” Pashinyan said. “I am convinced that there is still untapped potential in this direction, and we intend to make use of it in the near future.”

Armenia has been a member of the EAEU since 2015.