Oppositionist : Pashinyan has decided to drag Armenia into new geopolitical challenges

ArmInfo. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has decided to drag the country into new geopolitical trials. Agnessa Khamoyan, a member of parliament from the Armenia faction, stated this at a press conference in Yerevan on September 8, commenting on the Armenian Prime Minister's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

At the same time, Khamoyan believes that Pashinyan's attempts to straddle two chairs are no longer working. "It may be true that the Armenian Prime Minister is a master of illusions, but how effective this can be in relations with the Russian President or with European countries is questionable. This is all working in Armenia for now, but I don't think it will work in the outside world. It's clear that Putin is already issuing ultimatums. Even during the last meeting, we witnessed what usually happens behind closed doors happen in front of cameras. "The open clarification of relations is still ongoing, and I think that an important stage in this process, perhaps even a decisive one, will take place during the individual meeting between the Prime Minister of Armenia and the President of Russia," the MP noted. Khamoyan also considers it obvious that the issue of Armenia's membership in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) will also be clarified in the coming months. In this regard, she recalled that approximately 50% of Armenia's foreign trade turnover comes from the EAEU, while the share of goods exported from Armenia to the EAEU is only 1%. "That is, it is not the EAEU that will face economic problems, but Armenia, and catastrophic ones at that. And for me, it is noteworthy that the Russian President continues to raise the question of the legitimacy of the processes in Armenia. I think this explains the references to the Armenian people deciding whether to remain in the EAEU or join the EU. Let me also recall how the Russian president did not congratulate Pashinyan on his victory in the parliamentary elections on June 7. This means that the question of legitimacy remains open. Therefore, I have no positive expectations for the meeting. "It is obvious that Pashinyan has decided to drag Armenia into new geopolitical trials," the opposition figure noted, commenting on the Armenian prime minister's upcoming visit to Russia. [The sentence appears to be incomplete and likely mistranslated.] ... "I don't know what the current Armenian leadership should do, that is, what guarantees should be discussed to remove this issue from the agenda," the MP concluded.

As a reminder, on January 9, 2025, the Armenian government approved a draft law on the start of the process of joining the European Union, proposed by the "Eurakve" civic initiative. The draft was sent to the Armenian parliament for approval. On March 26, the 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. 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 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 could not afford to sit on two chairs and needed to make a choice as soon as possible.

It should be added that following talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on September 1 in Bishkek, an agreement was announced to continue negotiations on problematic issues in Moscow.