Decision to join EU is Armenian people`s choice - Alexei Overchuk 

ArmInfo.The decision to join the EU is the choice of the Armenian people, but Yerevan must take into account the changing nature of the European Union, which is transforming from an economic union into a military-political one. According to TASS, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk told  reporters this.

"If they ever officially begin these kinds of negotiations, they will  take many years. And we will, of course, need to look at the dynamics  of the European Union itself, what it is becoming. And here, of  course, we must also monitor and follow the statements coming from  the European Commission and Brussels today, which are related to the  fact that the European Union is transforming from an economic union  into a military-political union. This, too, must be taken into  account. And the nature of the European Union is changing before our  eyes," he noted. "Are Armenians ready to join a military-political  union that is currently very aggressively disposed toward the Russian  Federation? Perhaps Armenians will have to ask themselves this  question. In any case, of course, it has been said many times that  the choice in favor of one integration association or another is  always the choice of the Armenian people," the Russian Deputy Prime  Minister added.

"And here, obviously, some decisions will need to be made at some  point, because, indeed, this has been discussed a lot, both here and  in Armenia. Nikol Vovayevich [Pashinyan] has spoken about this:  everyone understands that Armenia cannot be a member of two  integration associations simultaneously. Therefore, if such a choice  is ever made, it will be a comprehensive one, taking into account the  dynamics we are seeing today in the changing nature of the European  Union," Overchuk stated.

He added that the EAEU is Armenia's most important economic partner  and will remain so in the near future. "The EAEU is Armenia's most  important economic partner, and it will remain so in the near future.   Moreover, we see Armenia actively developing ties not only with  Russia but also with other EAEU members, particularly Kazakhstan.  Grain trade has even begun with Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.   Therefore, the EAEU plays a very important role for Armenia in this  regard," he said.

The Deputy Prime Minister also pointed to the opportunities offered  by the free trade agreement between the EAEU and Iran. "As is well  known, Armenia borders Iran, and this agreement effectively allows  for duty-free trade on 90% of product lines. This is a unique  agreement. Imagine: Armenia, with a population of 3 million, now has  direct access at its border to a market of over 85 million people.  This is a very significant factor for Armenia's development,  prosperity, and revenue generation in a familiar market," Overchuk  added.

At the same time, the Deputy Prime Minister noted that there are  quite a number of people in Armenia, including in the country's  leadership, who want closer ties with the European Union. "And they  meet, talk, sign documents, primarily concerning visa liberalization  now and the implementation of European Union standards. We closely  monitor issues related to standards and technical regulations. We  believe this is crucial for preserving the common market of the  Eurasian Economic Union," he added. "In principle, the standards  being implemented today do not conflict with what we have in the  Eurasian Economic Union. If such cases arise, we consult very openly  with our Armenian allies. They take such concerns on our part very  seriously and respond accordingly. Because if such contradictions  begin to arise, we will have to protect our market accordingly."