Armenian PM: China, the US, Iran, the EU, Georgia, the UK, France, and Germany all need Armenia, and we need every one of these partners

“A referendum on choosing between the Eurasian Economic Union and the European Union could be held in Armenia if the country formally applies for EU membership; however, for now, the nation remains in the process of shaping its alternatives,” Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has stated.

He noted that Russia wishes for Armenia to settle the question of alternatives today.

“We are currently in the process of shaping an alternative. We cannot put this question to our people right now. For that to happen, Armenia must at the very least submit a membership application to the EU or hold candidate status. At that stage, holding a referendum will be both logical and necessary,” the Armenian Prime Minister explained.

“As Pashinyan pointed out, the difficulties exporting Armenian products to Russia and Eurasian Economic Union markets arose precisely because ‘Armenia decided to secure political and economic alternatives.’

“Armenia has signed documents on strategic relations with China, the US, the UK, France, and the Netherlands. In the past, Armenia did not have, or could not have, such relations with other partners. That is the issue. I cannot speak for Russia’s feelings, but I can say that Russia sees the problem precisely here: either exclusive relations, or no relations at all. We do not share this approach; we say that relations cannot be exclusive, but they must exist. This is our legitimate position,” Nikol Pashinyan stated.

Furthermore, the Armenian Prime Minister addressed arguments concerning whether Armenia has been a good or bad partner to Russia.

“In what way was Armenia a bad partner in 2022, such that the Collective Security Treaty Organisation failed to fulfil its obligations, or that Russian peacekeepers in Karabakh failed to fulfil theirs? Whom did Armenia wrong that the President of Belarus could ask, ‘Who needs Armenia?’ How can one say such a thing about a sovereign nation? And now we are showing who needs Armenia. Armenia is needed by China, the US, Iran, the EU, Georgia, the UK, France, and Germany, and we need every single one of these partners,” declared Nikol Pashinyan.