Overchuk: Yerevan will decide on its own accession to the European Union

ArmInfo. Yerevan will decide its own accession to the European Union, while Russia reserves the right to resolve the preferences that Armenia will lose if it moves closer to the EU. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk stated this on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF).

He emphasized that Armenia's accession to the EU is a personal matter and Yerevan's sovereign right, and it is up to Yerevan to decide. "Armenia's accession to the EU is Armenia's business. Whatever they decide, that's their sovereign right." "And it is our right to resolve issues with the preferences that Armenia will lose in the event of rapprochement with the EU," Overchuk emphasized.

On May 9, Russian President Vladimir Putin, speaking to journalists, suggested that Armenia decide on its membership in the EU and the EAEU as soon as possible, expressing its readiness to "begin a civilized divorce" if necessary. Yerevan responded by stating that it would leave the EAEU whenever it deemed it necessary. And on May 29, the heads of four of the five EAEU countries adopted a resolution recommending that Armenia hold a referendum on its continued membership in the EAEU. That same day, the Russian president stated that Armenia would not be able to sit on both sides and needed to make a choice as soon as possible. It is worth noting that on January 9, 2025, the Armenian government approved a draft law on the beginning of the process of joining the European Union, proposed by the civic initiative "Eurakve." The draft was sent to the Armenian parliament for approval. On March 26, the country's parliament adopted it in its final reading and sent it to the president for signature. The document was signed on April 4 of that year. Moscow stated that Russia had conveyed to Armenia that simultaneous membership in the Eurasian Economic Union and the European Union was impossible.