Russia and its partners in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) consider Armenia’s consumerist approach to rapprochement with the European Union (EU) at their expense unacceptable, Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) spokesperson Maria Zakharova told RIA Novosti.
“I would like to emphasize once again that a purely consumerist approach to go to the EU at our expense is unacceptable for us. As follows from the [EAEU-member Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan] leaders’ statement, our partners in Eurasian integration share the same opinion,” Zakharova added.
The Armenian parliament adopted a law in March on launching the EU accession process, which was ratified by the country’s president, Vahagn Khachaturyan, in April. In turn, Russian President Vladimir Putin had stated during a meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan that it is impossible to be in a customs union with both the EU and the EAEU at the same time.
In the event of leaving the EAEU, Armenia may lose the trade privileges it has to its membership in this union; in particular, the 5% single low tariff rate applicable to member countries and even the right to duty-free import of goods in a number of cases.
