ArmInfo. It is impossible to be in the EAEU and the EU at the same time, but it is up to Armenia to decide where it is better to be, Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Mikhail Galuzin told RIA Novosti.
"We are convinced that it is impossible to be in two different unions at the same time, like the EAEU and the European Union," Galuzin said.
He emphasized that the EAEU is an association of equal states, while the EU is a structure in which "there is a stick discipline, subordinated to anti-Russian narratives set by Brussels bureaucrats who are out of touch with reality."
"It is up to official Yerevan to decide where it is better to be. We hope that all the benefits of membership in the EAEU and the scale of losses from breaking with the EAEU will be explained to the Armenian society so that the Armenian society has an objective idea of reality," the deputy minister noted.
Galuzin added that Armenia is a sovereign state that independently chooses the vector of its development. Touching upon bilateral relations, the diplomat emphasized that Russia and Armenia discuss all current issues in an atmosphere of frankness.
"We are allies and strategic partners with Armenia. Therefore, we discuss all current issues on our agenda in an atmosphere of frankness and trust," he said, answering the agency's question whether Moscow had requested clarification from Yerevan regarding the approval of the Armenian parliament's accession to the European Union.
On March 26, the Armenian parliament adopted in the second and final reading a bill on the country's intention to join the European Union. Earlier, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk said that Yerevan would have to make a choice between the EAEU and the EU; it would not be able to sit on two chairs.