Wednesday, August 21 2024 10:34

ArmInfo. Armenia continues to be very interested in membership in the Eurasian Economic Union  (EAEU). This opinion was expressed to the magazine "International Life" by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia Andrei Pankin, touching upon the relations between Armenia and the EAEU.

The Russian diplomat recalled that Yerevan has its own obligations  within the Union, which it fulfills.

"By fulfilling all obligations and respecting its interests, Armenia  receives a very large benefit, which is demonstrated not only by high  production rates, but also by foreign trade turnover, and by leaps  and bounds in the transfer of labor migrants to Yerevan. Indeed,  there is a step-by-step growth, not even by percentages, but by  several times. But, on the other hand, we, of course, see that  Yerevan is being lured into the orbit of the European Union, and we  do not know what conditions are being set for associate membership or  other forms of interaction with the European Union," Pankin added.  When asked to clarify whether this is being kept secret, the diplomat  noted that this is due to the fact that Russia does not interfere in  Yerevan's internal affairs - how it interacts with its partners in  the EU.

"But, unfortunately, we know that EU partners usually have the  ability to impose their conditions and detach from other associations  or groups those countries that they want to take into their orbit of  this associated membership," Pankin emphasized. Speaking in general  about interaction within the EAEU, Pankin pointed out the obvious  benefits of membership in this integration association. "For example,  GDP has grown by one and a half times since 2015. Industrial  production - by 22%. Agriculture - by a quarter.  Yes, you will say:  divide by eight years! But still, this is sustainable, progressive  growth, and it also fell on the years associated with the pandemic  and after it. Remember, the economies in different regions "sagged"  significantly. Wages increased, for example, in Armenia by 13%, in  Russia - by a little over four percent.  Poverty is falling.  Unemployment has decreased from 5 to 3.3%. This is a very serious  figure against the background of the turbulence that is generally  happening in global financial, economic, currency processes," Pankin  concluded.