Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has warned that a failure to quickly resolve restrictions on Armenian exports could mark “the beginning of the end” of the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).
The restrictions are at the centre of a dispute between Russia and Armenia, in which Moscow blocked imports earlier this year of Armenian products, including fish -- a major export industry for Armenia - flowers, fruits and vegetables and other products.
Pashinyan said the restrictions were not solely an Armenian problem, but a challenge affecting the functioning of the entire bloc.
Pashinyan also said the current situation showed that the Eurasian Economic Union was effectively paralysed because it had not done anything to solve the problem.
“If this issue is not resolved quickly, allow me to predict that this will mark the beginning of the end of the EAEU,” he added.
Earlier this week, Pashinyan had a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, during which he said the trade restrictions violated agreements between the two countries and breached the rules of the EAEU, of which both are members.
Pashinyan said he also told Putin that Armenia had the right to find different solutions.
“The Republic of Armenia has the legitimate right to develop alternatives for itself. I told the President of Russia that we have declared this course and we will follow it, especially now that the people of the Republic of Armenia have voted in favour of it,” he said.
“As I said during the election campaign, I cannot imagine ending up in a situation as a result of our policies where the Republic of Armenia has no alternatives,” he said.
Pashinyan has also addressed the possibility of holding a referendum on whether Armenia should pursue membership of the European Union or remain in the Eurasian Economic Union.
He said Armenia would first need to formally apply for EU membership before such a referendum could be held.
Moscow has already warned Armenia that it could be suspended from the EAEU if it continues pursuing EU membership.
Armenia is heavily dependent on Russia for energy supplies, while Russia accounted for about 35% of Armenia's foreign trade last year.
The U.S. military said it completed its latest wave of strikes on Iran, a two-hour operation that hit dozens of targets. Washington described the stri...
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has warned that a failure to quickly resolve restrictions on Armenian exports could mark “the beginning of t...
Three firefighters have died as wildfires continue to burn across Greece, with Crete facing a second day of intense blazes driven by strong winds. The...
French DJ and electropop musician Kavinsky, whose atmospheric sound shaped a generation of electronic music fans, has died at the age of 50, French authorities said on Tuesday.
Saudi Arabia said its overnight strikes on Iran-backed group targets in Iraq were carried out in self-defence and warned it would take further military action if the groups launched new attacks against the kingdom.
Yemen warned the Houthis were seeking to replicate Iran's Strait of Hormuz strategy in the Red Sea, as U.S. President Donald Trump said there was a "good chance" of a deal with Tehran but warned strikes could resume if talks failed.
Moscow should stop linking Russia-Armenia relations to Azerbaijan, Baku's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Aykhan Hajizada has said, after Russia again raised the Collective Security Treaty Organisation's role during the former Garabagh conflict.
A fire involving two gas vessels at Egypt's Damietta port has prompted conflicting reports over whether the incident was caused by a drone strike or an onboard technical fault. Egyptian authorities said there were no casualties.
Nauru has ended its diplomatic relations with Georgia's occupied regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Georgia's Foreign Ministry has confirmed.
A fire involving two gas vessels at Egypt's Damietta port has prompted conflicting reports over whether the incident was caused by a drone strike or an onboard technical fault. Egyptian authorities said there were no casualties.
Pakistan has declared hepatitis C a national emergency and launched a nationwide campaign to screen more than 164 million people, as it steps up efforts to eliminate one of the world's largest hepatitis C burdens by 2030.
Afghan refugees in Pakistan are delaying or avoiding medical treatment because they fear arrest under the country's deportation policy, leading to preventable illnesses including child malnutrition and pregnancy complications, according to Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).
Kyrgyzstan is in talks with Russia over monthly supplies of 100,000 tonnes of petroleum products as Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian oil refineries continue to disrupt fuel exports, forcing the Central Asian country to seek alternative sources.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment