Alexander Pracht
Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has responded to Russia’s calls for Yerevan to hold a referendum on whether to remain in the Moscow-led Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) or pursue integration with the European Union.
“Within the EEU, we are working and will continue to work for as long as making the choice between the EU and the EEU does not become inevitable. And the decision, naturally, must be made by the people of Armenia through a referendum. When this referendum should take place is also a very important question. Before Armenia formally applies for EU membership or comes close to achieving candidate status, holding any referendum would be illogical,” Pashinyan said in a video posted on Facebook on Monday.
He added that holding a referendum at this stage, when Armenia’s potential EU membership remains distant and largely theoretical, would make little sense. His remarks came amid mounting pressure from Moscow in the run-up to Armenia’s nationwide election scheduled for June 7.
An EEU summit held in Astana on Friday saw the leaders of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan adopt a resolution calling on Armenia to hold such a referendum “in the shortest possible time.” Pashinyan did not attend the meeting due to election campaign commitments. Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan represented Armenia instead and said that Yerevan does not intend to leave the bloc.
Armenia has been a member of the EEU since its establishment in 2014, having joined under then-President Serzh Sargsyan without a referendum, which was legal at the time. A constitutional amendment requiring referendums for joining supranational organizations was adopted the following year.
In March last year, Armenia formally declared its intention to pursue EU membership in the future through a non-binding law adopted by parliament, without setting a timeline. Since then, senior Russian officials have repeatedly said that EU integration is incompatible with EEU membership, with rhetoric intensifying greatly in recent weeks.
Also read: Putin warns Armenia’s EU pivot could mirror Ukraine scenario
Last month, Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested that Armenia should hold a referendum on the issue, drawing parallels with developments in Ukraine in 2014, comments that many interpreted as an implicit threat of war. Putin referred to the ousting of President Viktor Yanukovych after he refused to sign an association agreement with the European Union and chose to engage with Moscow instead. Russia subsequently annexed Crimea, backed a proxy war in eastern Ukraine, and launched a full-scale invasion eight years later.
Also read: Armenia cannot trade sovereignty for tomatoes, economy minister says
Stories
