ArmInfo. Yerevan will present its position on the report on the possible consequences of suspending the Treaty on the Eurasian Economic Union against Armenia after a detailed study. Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan stated this in a conversation with journalists in parliament on October 21, in response to a request to express the Armenian authorities' position on the report.
He noted that the EAEU report was published the day before, literally hours ago. "It's quite extensive; we are reviewing it, analyzing it, and will shape Armenia's behavior and position. You noted the legal aspect—we are not aware of any legal mechanism by which X number of EAEU states could expel Y states from the organization." "But we will study the report and respond unconditionally," Mirzoyan said.
He added that the well-being of citizens and traditional trade ties with Russia and other EAEU countries are important, but most important is Armenia's sovereignty and independence. According to him, the position will be closely determined by these circumstances.
Commenting on opposition representatives' opinions about an apocalyptic scenario in the event of Armenia's withdrawal from the EAEU, Mirzoyan noted that the opposition exists precisely to predict such scenarios. He also acknowledged that there would be damage.
"If the Russian side decides to unilaterally raise the gas price, I don't know how much of a partnership it will be or how much it will reflect our relations with Russia, but the situation will become clear as we go," Mirzoyan said.
In this vein, he quickly cited successful examples of cooperation between Armenia and Russia – from nuclear power plants, VTB, ZMMC, to the military base mentioned by the Russian president, the Erebuni airbase. "The economic and strategic relations between Armenia and Russia contain many components; we shouldn't limit ourselves to gas prices. In that case, we can discuss the entire spectrum," Mirzoyan stated, adding that there is a preliminary agreement with the Russian side to sit down and consider the entire spectrum. In response to criticism that Yerevan is failing to fulfill its obligations, the minister assured that no one fulfills their obligations better than Armenia.
On October 20, a report on the possible consequences of suspending the Treaty on the Eurasian Economic Union for Armenia was published on the Russian government's website. It was prepared by members of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council from Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. The 72-page report details the benefits Armenia receives from membership in the EAEU and the risks the republic would face if its membership in this integration union were suspended.
