Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has questioned the future of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), criticizing a decision adopted by the bloc regarding Armenia and warning that such actions could undermine the organization's very foundations.
Speaking during a government meeting, Pashinyan said the EAEU must clarify whether it remains committed to the principles on which it was established, Caliber.Az reports, citing Armenian media.
"The EAEU is based on several fundamental principles: the free movement of labor, goods, services, and capital.
If these do not exist, then the Eurasian Economic Union does not exist! We say that it does exist, and we, including as a member state, believe that some misunderstanding has occurred, creating the impression that the EAEU does not exist. But if the Eurasian Economic Union says, 'You know, I no longer exist'—well, if it no longer exists, what can we do?
We exist, we are members of the EAEU, and we work within the EAEU. Now the Eurasian Economic Union must say whether it exists or not," Pashinyan said.
The Armenian prime minister argued that recent developments have created uncertainty not only for Armenia but potentially for other member states as well.
"I am certain that in a number of EAEU countries the same process is taking place without official statements, because people cannot help but view what is happening as a risk facing them. Therefore, there is indeed something to discuss within the EAEU framework, and I will begin that discussion in the near future," he said.
Pashinyan also expressed dissatisfaction with a statement adopted by fellow EAEU leaders during a meeting he did not attend.
"Of course, I also have questions for our colleagues regarding the statement they adopted in my absence, and we need to understand what it means in practice," he noted.
Questioning the implications of the decision, he added: "In other words, we must determine whether any EAEU country can make such decisions concerning another member state and simply wake up one morning and adopt them. In my assessment, if the answer to that question is 'yes,' then the EAEU is effectively declaring its own dissolution, and we will have to proceed from that reality."
Pashinyan's remarks referred to a declaration adopted on May 29 during a meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council, which he did not attend. At that session, the leaders of Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, and Kyrgyzstan called on Armenia to hold a referendum as soon as possible on whether it intends to remain within the Eurasian Economic Union or pursue integration with the European Union.
By Vafa Guliyeva
