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Armenia has no intention of severing or worsening relations with Russia; on the contrary, they should be developed further, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in an interview with RFI’s Armenian service, responding to a question about whether Armenia is trying to reduce its economic dependence on Russia.
The Prime Minister added that Armenian-Russian relations cannot be the same as before, because back then there was a conflict with Azerbaijan, whereas now there is peace.
“We want to strengthen, consolidate and develop our independence. That is why we have adopted a balanced and balancing foreign policy. We want our businesses to have alternatives in terms of exports and imports. For example, previously, Armenia’s market for imports of gasoline and petroleum products was highly concentrated. Changes in the external environment would lead to major problems for us. In recent years, petroleum products have been imported into Armenia by dozens of companies rather than just a few. This situation has allowed us to avoid being hit harder by crises related to petroleum products on the global market than other countries. For example, problems related to petroleum products arose in Russia as a result of Ukraine’s actions, but thanks to our domestic policies, Armenia did not experience those problems,” Pashinyan said.
Asked whether Armenia would hold a referendum on leaving the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), Pashinyan replied that, to take such a step, Armenia would first have to at least submit an application to join the European Union.
The Prime Minister also added that Armenia is not ready to become a member of the European Union at this point. He said many reforms must be implemented for Armenia to meet the European Union’s standards.