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Putin urges Pashinyan to decide on Armenia’s EU path soon
🇹🇷 Turkey /Elections & Politics

Putin urges Pashinyan to decide on Armenia’s EU path soon

From Cumhuriyet · () Turkish

Translated from Turkish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Russian President Vladimir Putin and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan discussed Armenia’s EU membership ambitions and its membership in the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union.
  • Putin said Moscow would respect any decision by the Armenian people but urged Yerevan to decide as soon as possible so Russia could adjust its economic policies.
  • Pashinyan said Armenia values its relationship with Russia, has no intention of leaving the Eurasian Economic Union, and is not yet ready to hold an EU membership referendum.

Vladimir Putin urged Armenia to make an early decision about its European Union ambitions, warning that Moscow would need to rethink its trade and economic policies with Yerevan if the country chose to join the bloc.

Putin made the comments during a meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit. The talks focused on increasingly tense Armenia-Russia relations, Armenia’s EU aspirations and its continued membership in the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union.

We will respect any choice the Armenian people make. Armenia will decide what happens. However, we need to readjust our trade and economic policies in line with these possible decisions, and we ask you to make this decision as soon as possible.

— Vladimir PutinHe described Russia’s position on a possible Armenian decision to pursue EU membership.

Putin said joining the EU was Armenia’s legitimate right, but argued that the choice could create problems for its Eurasian Economic Union membership. “We will respect any choice the Armenian people make. Armenia will decide what happens. However, we need to readjust our trade and economic policies in line with these possible decisions, and we ask you to make this decision as soon as possible.”

He also recalled Pashinyan’s earlier statements that Armenia should hold a referendum on EU membership and said he supported that position. “The sooner we make a decision, the better. We need to understand how we will develop our relations with Armenia, especially in the economic sphere.”

The sooner we make a decision, the better. We need to understand how we will develop our relations with Armenia, especially in the economic sphere.

— Vladimir PutinHe stressed the importance Moscow places on an early decision.

Pashinyan reiterated that Armenia did not intend to leave the Eurasian Economic Union. He said the union’s founding documents contain no procedure for other members to expel a country, meaning only the member itself could decide to leave. “We greatly value our relations with Russia. We hope these relations are also important for Russia.”

Pashinyan added that Armenia had not yet reached the point of holding an EU membership referendum because it lacked a concrete alternative to present to the public.

We greatly value our relations with Russia. We hope these relations are also important for Russia.

— Nikol PashinyanHe reaffirmed Armenia’s stated regard for its relationship with Moscow.
About this summary

Originally published by Cumhuriyet in Turkish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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