Lavrov: Russia does not intend to sponsor Armenia’s membership in the EU

ArmInfo.  Russia would not like to “pay for” Armenia’s European integration at the expense of the preferences the republic receives thanks to its membership in the EAEU. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated this.

Speaking at the “New Architecture of the World” session held as part of the International Youth Festival in Yekaterinburg on September 16, in response to a question about whether relations between Yerevan and Moscow could warm without certain steps on the Armenian side, Lavrov expressed the conviction that the EU authorities may also deceive Yerevan.

The Russian Foreign Minister admitted that he did not see how Armenia could end up in the European Union, where Turkey, for example, Serbia, has already been waiting in line for many decades. He noted that the issue here is one of “either-or.”

“Therefore, if the Armenian leadership believes that the European Union is Armenia’s future, President Putin has repeatedly said that if this is the choice of the Armenian people, then how can we be against it? But let us understand whether this choice exists or not. Therefore, at President Putin’s meeting with Pashinyan in Bishkek and during the May contacts, we proposed determining this and holding a referendum,” he said.

He drew attention to the fact that the transfer of Armenia to EU standards has already begun. “We by no means want to artificially delay the diversification processes proclaimed by Prime Minister Pashinyan. I have just said that we are in favor of every country having the right to choose both its partners and its path of development.

But Yerevan still needs to make up its mind. Because if the process of introducing European standards into Armenian legislation and regulatory practice has already begun, Russia would not like to pay for membership or preparation for membership in the European Union through the enormous preferences Armenia receives in the Eurasian Economic Union. This, in my opinion, is quite obvious,” Lavrov explained.

The Russian diplomat recalled that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan agreed at the SCO summit in Bishkek in September to hold a separate meeting on issues related to the republic’s membership in the EAEU and its European integration, at which they would openly discuss issues related to Yerevan’s desire to become a member of the EU and everything that would follow from this.

On May 9, Russian President Vladimir Putin, speaking with journalists, proposed that Armenia decide as soon as possible on its membership in the EU and the EAEU, pointing to a readiness to “begin a civilized divorce” if necessary. Yerevan responded by stating that it would leave the EAEU when it deemed necessary. And already on May 29, the heads of 4 out of the 5 EAEU countries adopted a resolution recommending that Armenia hold a referendum on the issue of the country’s continued membership in the EAEU. On the same day, the Russian president stated that Armenia would not be able to sit on two chairs and needed to make its choice as soon as possible.

It should be noted that on January 9, 2025, the Armenian government approved a draft law on launching the process of joining the European Union, proposed through the civic initiative “Euroakve.”  The draft was sent to the Armenian parliament for approval. On March 26, the country’s parliament adopted it at its final reading and sent it to the president for signature.  The document was signed on April 4 of the same year. Moscow stated that Russia had conveyed to Armenia that simultaneous membership in the Eurasian Economic Union and the European Union was impossible.