There are no plans or discussions in the Armenian government regarding withdrawal from the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). This was stated by Armenia’s Minister of Economy, Gevorg Papoyan, during an extraordinary session of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Regional and Eurasian Integration, in response to a question from MP Agnesa Khamoyan of the Armenia faction.

Khamoyan inquired whether the EAEU could be replaced with the prospect of EU membership, Sputnik Armenia reports.

"Are we ready to replace the large, established EAEU market with the dream of EU membership? Have there been calculations on what we could export there? Do we have the economic potential for this?" the MP asked.

Papoyan said that the discussed initiative is not a document on EU accession but rather a step toward diversifying economic relations.

"Our agenda is to diversify the economy as much as possible. This does not imply working against the EAEU. For example, if we import a product from a non-EAEU country but could also source it from an EAEU member state, then we aim to prioritize EAEU imports. Similarly, if we currently export a product only to an EAEU country, our ministry's goal is to find additional markets," the minister said.

According to Papoyan, this approach is not directed against any particular market but is aimed at strengthening Armenia’s economic position. He added that the goal is to avoid dependence on any single market by expanding cooperation with the EAEU, EU, major markets in the Middle East and Asia, as well as Canada, the U.S., and other countries. "Our agenda is to establish as many strong economic ties as possible with all potential markets," he said.

Regarding upcoming plans, Papoyan noted that an upcoming visit to Russia will include discussions on expanding bilateral trade and economic cooperation.

Speaking about the European market, the minister mentioned that Armenia faces certain challenges, particularly in exporting meat products, but has already achieved success in fish exports.

When asked whether benefiting from the EU market requires launching an unrealistic EU accession process, Papoyan replied that the priority is to produce high-quality, competitive products.

"The largest beneficiaries of the EU market are the U.S. and China, neither of which are EU members," he emphasized.

On February 12, Armenia’s National Assembly passed a bill in the first reading on launching the process of Armenia’s accession to the European Union.