Armenia confirms no plans to quit EAEU

Armenia has no plans to leave the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), the country’s Minister of Economy Gevorg Papoyan said on Monday.

"We do not want to replace the EAEU with anything. We want to be independent, with independence meaning that you do not depend on one country but you depend on all and all depend on you," he said, News.Az reports, citing TASS.

"We should become a country, in which if something happens to us, it will also happen to the economies of other countries as well. And then nothing will happen to us," the minister noted.

Armenia should support, develop and increase the level of relations with the EAEU, as well as expand relations with other organizations, Papoyan added.

On January 9, the government of Armenia endorsed a draft bill, initiating its process to joining the European Union (EU), which is going to be discussed by the parliament. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has said that it does not directly mean the country’s EU membership as the decision on the issue may only be taken through a referendum.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk has said that Moscow considers the discussion of the bill on joining the EU as the start of the republic’s exit from the EAEU, adding that Armenia’s accession to the European Union is not compatible with its membership in the Eurasian Economic Union.

News.Az