Russian Deputy FM: Armenia`s rapprochement with EU is evident

ArmInfo.  The process of Armenia's rapprochement with the European Union is evident, as stated by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin  in an interview with RTVI. 

When asked about the current state of diplomatic contacts between  Russia and Armenia, and whether Moscow is raising the issue of a  referendum on EU accession—a topic previously mentioned by the  Russian President on the eve of the elections—Galuzin pointed to the  concerns regarding economic security risks for EAEU member states,  which were voiced on May 29 in Astana by the leaders of Russia,  Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Belarus.

He stated that a joint statement was adopted by the leaders of  Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan, which clearly states  that the initiation of Armenia's accession process to the European  Union and the current Armenian leadership's plans to join the bloc  pose concrete risks to the economic security of other participants in  the Eurasian integration union.

According to Galuzin, an instruction has been issued to prepare a  report on the potential consequences of suspending Armenia's  participation in the EAEU.  "I am confident that experts will  thoroughly analyze both the economic and legal aspects. Let us wait  for the results of the professionals' work," he stated.  Regarding  the referendum, Galuzin added: "As you know, in the aforementioned  joint statement, the four leaders advocated for this referendum to  take place in the near future. Under Armenian legislation, such a  referendum is required for Armenia's accession to supranational  integration structures. To be frank, we do not quite understand why  the Armenian leadership is hesitant to ask the country's citizens for  their stance on this highly significant issue. I do not rule out that  there may be certain opportunistic considerations behind such  hesitation." 

In this context, the Russian diplomat hastened to reiterate the  principled position that Moscow has already articulated on numerous  occasions. "Our position is that it is unacceptable for us that  Armenia officially declares and legislatively enshrines its so-called  'European aspirations' while continuing to enjoy all the benefits and  advantages of membership in the Eurasian Economic Union," he noted.   Responding to the remark that Armenia has not yet submitted an  official application for EU membership, Galuzin disagreed with this  phrasing of the issue, pointing out that the law adopted in Armenia  last April is titled "On the Initiation of the Process of Accession  to the European Union." "What more do we need to confirm that  Armenia's process of joining the European Union has begun? A special  law on this subject has been adopted. I do not see any other  interpretation here," the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister stated.

When it was clarified that the formal procedure between Yerevan and  Brussels has not yet been launched, Galuzin emphasized that this is  his least concern. "I only know that there are quite a few such  'European aspirants' who have been waiting their turn for decades. In  general, the question of what specific actions have been taken is not  of fundamental importance. What matters fundamentally is that there  is a law, passed by the parliament and signed by the country's  president, and that there are practical steps being taken toward  Armenia's closer integration with the European Union," the diplomat  said.

As support for his words, he cited the hosting of the summit of the  so-called European Political Community in Yerevan earlier this May,  where, as he put it, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was  "dragged in, or rather, hauled in." "And there, this very leader of a  bloody regime, whose criminal acts we discussed in detail at the  beginning of our interview, was given a platform to make absolutely  vile, unacceptable threats against the Russian Federation—threats to  bomb Red Square during the celebrations marking Victory Day, which is  sacred to us all. all. And no one, including the representatives of  the host party—that is, Armenia—checked this presumptuous usurper of  power in Ukraine. Thus, we see that the process of Armenia's  rapprochement with the European Union, which in every way supports  Zelenskyy and fuels him with weapons, is evident," Galuzin concluded.