Speaker Rubinyan rejects Russian criticism, says Armenia is not seeking to worsen ties

Armenian Parliament Speaker Ruben Rubinyan has rejected Russian criticism of Armenia’s policy toward the EU, saying Yerevan has always been transparent with Moscow and is not taking steps to worsen bilateral relations.

Speaking at a press briefing, Rubinyan said Armenia has always been sincere with Moscow.

He was asked to respond to a statement by Russian State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin, who called on Yerevan to be “sincere with Russia,” accused Armenia of pursuing a “fake policy” and seeking to join the EU while at the same time benefiting from its EAEU membership.

“We are extremely sincere with Russia, and we have always been sincere. It is not us who are doing anything to worsen relations with the Russian Federation. On the contrary, we have done and continue to do everything to have normal, good-neighborly and friendly relations,” Rubinyan said.

He added that in this context, the unfair and unnecessary restrictions imposed by Russia on Armenian businesses do not correspond either to the spirit of Armenia-Russia relations or, especially, to the rules of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).

“I want to remind you that the whole meaning of the EAEU’s existence is the free movement of goods, whereas in this case we do not have that freedom, at least de facto,” Rubinyan emphasized.

Rubinyan also addressed the question of whether there are clear deadlines for when Armenia plans to officially apply for EU membership, given that Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has already announced this.

Ruben Rubinyan said it is a well-known fact that it is precisely the EAEU partners who are seeking for Armenia to submit an official application to join the European Union, as they repeatedly say that Armenia should hold a referendum on choosing between the European Union and the EAEU.

“But a referendum on the issue of joining the European Union can only be held when that question has been formulated and the circumstances arising from that question are known. That is, it is not possible to hold a referendum simply on whether we want to become a member of the European Union if the related actions have not been taken. Therefore, the referendum will only be possible after we apply for EU membership, receive an appropriate positive response, and obtain appropriate clarity regarding the steps and timeframes. At that point, it will be possible to hold a referendum,” the Speaker said.

PM Nikol Pashinyan said earlier this week that Armenia will soon start the process of applying for EU membership.