ArmInfo. Armenia cannot be a member of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and the European Union at the same time; the country must make a choice. This was stated by Russian Ambassador to Armenia Sergey Kopyrkin in an interview with 24News.
The diplomat recalled that initially the Russian side clearly dotted the "i's": either the EU or the EAEU; it is impossible to be in both. "And here the issue is not the position of the Russian side, but a question of objective reality, since a state cannot be a member of two customs unions at the same time," Kopyrkin noted, recalling that this position was clearly stated by Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk, who even used the metaphor that "by joining the EU, Armenia will buy itself a ticket on the Titanic." At the same time, he added that it is difficult for him to assess where it would be better for Armenia, in the EU or the EAEU.
Kopyrkin noted that today there is a reality - Armenia is one of the main beneficiaries of membership in the EAEU. "Armenia's cooperation with the EAEU and the Russian Federation is one of the key factors in the country's socio-economic development, as evidenced by statistics. What will happen in the EU is a question of the future, at the moment the dynamics of trade between Armenia and the EU is now negative. It is no secret that the EU is currently facing very serious systemic problems," the Russian ambassador noted.
At the same time, the diplomat noted that the Russian side honestly expressed its position, and the fundamental point is that this choice is the sovereign right of the Republic of Armenia. "We respect this, but we need to understand the reality," he said.
Touching upon the statements of the Armenian authorities about their intention to diversify foreign policy, the Russian ambassador noted that this is a normal phenomenon - Moscow also seeks to diversify its relations in all azimuths.
"We understand the desire to develop relations with everyone. It is in Russia's interests for Armenia to feel confident in the region and on the international stage," the Russian diplomat said.
To the remark that the Armenian authorities are arguing for rapprochement with the EU with additional security guarantees, Kopyrkin responded that, as far as is known, no one has given Yerevan any additional security guarantees comparable to those in Russian-Armenian relations. "In any case, I have not seen any statements or documents. As for the change in the situation, in principle it has not changed. The main components of our interaction in the security sphere, military and political, remain. The Russian base remains here, the presence of Russian border guards on the border, despite a certain dynamic, remains, and this is assessed positively by Yerevan," he said.
Speaking about military-technical cooperation, Kopyrkin noted that this topic exists, it is on the agenda of relations between the two countries. "It is clear that the current situation has a certain impact on the processes, but the Russian side has the political will to preserve what we have. This is in the interests of our countries. Issues are being discussed, some are being decided, some are under discussion," the Russian diplomat said, adding that there is a will to discuss problems and preserve the positive mass in these relations.
