Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to resolve a dispute over trade restrictions imposed by Moscow, Yerevan's government said on Monday.
Pashinyan, who has said Armenia wants to join the European Union (EU) despite its alliance with Russia, told Putin that import bans introduced by Moscow on Armenian products breached the rules of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), of which both countries are members.
"He asked to take measures to resolve these issues," Pashinyan's office said, adding that Armenia remained ready to address outstanding disputes through dialogue.
The Kremlin said Putin told Pashinyan that the Armenian leader's proposal to seek EU membership should be put to a referendum "as soon as possible".
Since April, Russia has imposed trade restrictions on a growing list of Armenian products, including mineral water, vegetables, flowers and fish.
Moscow's food safety regulator has cited hygiene and sanitary violations for the bans and denied the restrictions are politically motivated.
However, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has accused Russia of trying to apply economic pressure on Armenia to punish the country for its pivot towards the EU.
In June, she described Moscow's trade restrictions as "nothing short of economic coercion" and "unacceptable".
"By extending export restrictions on Armenian products, Moscow is weaponising economic relations for political pressure," she said.
The EU has pledged financial assistance to Yerevan worth more than €50 million (U.S.$56 million) and eased trade for some Armenian products to help the country deal with the economic impact of the restrictions.
Armenia's central bank has estimated that the import bans introduced by Russia affect roughly two per cent of GDP, with redirected oversupply potentially lowering domestic prices by about 0.6 per cent.
Moscow has warned that Armenia could be suspended from the EAEU if it continues pursuing EU membership.
Armenia remains heavily dependent on Russia for energy supplies, while Russia accounted for about 35 per cent of Armenia's foreign trade last year.
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Here's your AnewZ Daily Brief for 28 September 2026. These are the top stories making headlines in technology.
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan has arrived in Washington for talks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on bilateral ties and key regional and international developments, Saudi state news agency SPA reported.
Serbia's President Aleksandar Vučić resigned on Sunday, ending his second and final five-year term and paving the way for an early presidential election as the country prepares for a snap parliamentary vote on 25 October.
U.S. President Donald Trump has denied reports that he offered Iran sanctions relief and access to frozen funds in exchange for nuclear concessions.
Freight on the Baku–Tbilisi–Kars railway could soon move faster across borders after Georgia, Azerbaijan and Türkiye signed a new customs protocol aimed at cutting delays and streamlining transit.
Afghanistan and Belarus have agreed to expand health cooperation, with a focus on medicines, medical equipment and training healthcare workers, following talks between the two countries’ health ministers in Minsk on Tuesday (29 September).
Saudi Arabia is facing a widening security challenge from Yemen as Houthi forces consolidate recent territorial gains along the Red Sea coast and step up attacks on the kingdom.
Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defence says its forces killed 28 fighters and captured 32 others in Nuristan after armed groups, including alleged Islamic State members, crossed the border from Pakistan on Saturday.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) says it has captured a second U.S. military unmanned underwater vehicle in the Strait of Hormuz, as tensions between Tehran and Washington remain high.
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