ArmInfo. Armenia's economic dependence on the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), particularly on Russia, has never been more significant. This highlights the ineffective and short-sighted policy pursued by the current authorities.
Artur Khachatryan, the MP for the parliamentary faction "Armenia", stated at a briefing with journalists on November 27 addressing the request made by Armenia, the current chair of the EAEU, to move the EAEU summit to St. Petersburg on December 25.
He explained that in light of the country's ratification of the Rome Statute, which implies the possibility of detaining the Russian president, there are two parties interested in ensuring that this event doesn't take place in Armenia. "First and foremost, Armenia itself ratified this statute and is obliged to fulfill its requirements. Therefore, after the visit of the Russian President to Mongolia, this country found itself under significant pressure. Now, the Armenian authorities do not want to find themselves in a similar situation," Khachatryan explained.
In addition, according to the MP, the Civil Contract faction claimed that it ratified the statute in order to bring Azerbaijani war criminals, including Aliyev, to justice. "However, after ratification, I approached the Minister of Justice and asked: <what next?.> I was informed that no action was being taken. Now, a year after the ratification of the Rome Statute, we are still doing nothing. Thus, the authorities have once again deceived the people. We have not received any benefit from this step and are at risk of losing more," the MP added, emphasizing that this undermines trust in the country, as Armenia is the only EAEU country where the union's highest body meeting has not been held twice.
At the same time, according to Khachatryan, the authorities ratified the statute in hopes of improving relations with the West, particularly with Europe. However, he noted that on April 5, Europe announced limitations on cooperation within the framework of the Armenia-EU Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA). "I will say more: according to the draft budget for 2025, fewer grants are expected compared to last year," Khachatryan added. In this regard, the MP also touched upon a similar situation with the CSTO, emphasizing the importance of the country determining its position.
According to him, in this situation as well, the authorities are discussing diversification despite their absence from meetings of member countries. NATO has not even extended an offer to Armenia to participate in military exercises. "In my opinion, this is happening due to pressure from Azerbaijan: they have made it clear that if Armenia begins to bolster its military potential, they will take appropriate measures. I do not deny that they are afraid to go against the will of Azerbaijan," the MP said, noting that authorities are considering withdrawing lawsuits in international courts under pressure from Baku.
Touching upon the statements made by Armenian authorities regarding the diversification of the country's economy, Khachatryan assured that here too <there is a lot to say>. According to him, in the first nine months, exports to the EU only accounted for slightly over 4% of the total export volume, marking a record low. Previously, the EU was the second, and sometimes, even first economic partner of Armenia. At the same time, he drew attention to the fact that the country currently produces practically nothing, stating that the current authorities have destroyed the Armenian economy and industry.
