Russian MP: Armenia not wanted in EU

PanARMENIAN.Net - Alexei Zhuravlyov, first deputy chair of the Russian State Duma’s defense committee and a member of the "Motherland" party, stated that Armenia is of no interest to the European Union and that the current Armenian government is misleading the public with illusions of membership.

According to Zhuravlyov, the media uproar over Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s recent visit to Turkey is exaggerated, as previous Armenian leaders have also visited the country. He added that Pashinyan himself traveled to Turkey in 2022.

“The enthusiasm around the Turkey trip may soon fade. Turkey, despite being a NATO member, has been waiting nearly 40 years to join the EU. Armenia isn’t needed there either. The Western-aligned authorities are misleading the people with imaginary prospects just to turn the country into a second anti-Russia, like Ukraine,” Zhuravlyov said, as quoted by RIA Novosti.

He also accused Pashinyan of acting on Western directives and severing ties with Russia.

“Russian peacekeepers have been removed from the Azerbaijani border and Yerevan airport, where they maintained order. Armenia demonstratively ignores CSTO meetings led by Russia. Its parliament is passing resolutions committing the country to pursue NATO and EU membership,” he added.

On March 26, the Armenian parliament approved in second and final reading a bill initiating the EU accession process. The government had endorsed the proposal on January 9, following a submission by the civil initiative EuroVote. However, the EU has yet to issue a formal invitation, and opposition parties have criticized the legislation as legally absurd. The President of Armenia has signed the law.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk also stated that Armenia cannot “sit on two chairs” and will ultimately have to choose between the Eurasian Economic Union and the European Union.