ArmInfo. Armenia's membership in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) brings specific economic benefits to the republic, which would be nullified in the event of European integration. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova made this statement during a weekly briefing on January 31.
She noted that this fact was confirmed by official Yerevan itself, discussing the bonuses that the people of Armenia receive. Zakharova also mentioned that the issue of Armenia's potential membership in the EU and the risks associated with it were also discussed during a meeting between the head of the Armenian Foreign Ministry and his Russian counterpart in Moscow. She went on to cite statistical data regarding the benefits that Armenia has gained from membership in the EAEU over the years, pointing out that since 2015, exports from Armenia to EAEU countries have increased tenfold.
"Official Yerevan has the right to independently determine its foreign policy vector - this is the right of the sovereign state. We just need to understand what this will lead to," Zakharova said, urging to consider the practical side of such decisions, without excessive politicization and dividing into "black" and "white". According to her, all the dividends that Armenia received from the EAEU as a result of European integration will be lost. The representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry noted that Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk has repeatedly stated this. Zakharova believes that Armenian society needs to be honestly told about the scale of the consequences of this step. "There will be a painful disruption of production chains established over a decade. The large EAEU market will be lost, as well as the opportunity to trade with preferences. According to some estimates, the export of Armenian goods will decrease by 80%," she noted, pointing out the impossibility of restoring these losses in a short time. The diplomat also mentioned the challenges that Armenian products will encounter on their way to European markets, which will negatively impact the country's GDP and ultimately impoverish the population.
She was also skeptical that the Collective West will compensate for all of Armenia's losses resulting from abandoning the Eurasian market. Zakharova noted that the EU countries themselves are facing economic challenges. At the same time, the diplomat believes that the hopes of those advocating for European integration and expecting trade relations with the EU to improve after the Republic leaves the EAEU are unlikely to materialize. "In this case, we are talking about Armenia, no one is waiting for goods, neither in Europe nor in the US. If they had waited, they would have already taken, you must agree. What's the problem? Why don't they take if they want to help so much and the goods are so irreplaceable? They would have taken them right now!" the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry noted. Zakharova also stated that in 2024, Armenia's trade with the EU and the US dropped significantly and is approximately 6 times less than its trade with Russia.
According to the Statistical Committee of the Republic of Armenia, Armenia's foreign trade turnover with the EAEU countries in January-November 2025 amounted to $11.9 billion, which is 68.3% higher than the figure from a year ago. Exports decreased by 10.1% to $3.1 billion, while imports increased by 2.4 times to $8.8 billion. The EAEU accounts for 42.2% of the total foreign trade volume.
