MOSCOW, January 14. /TASS/. Armenia's membership in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) contradicts its desire to join the European Union (EU), because these international associations operate differently, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated at a press conference on Russian diplomacy results in 2024.
"You have mentioned some facts - for example, when there was an announcement, or a law, or a decision by the [Armenian] government to begin the process of joining the European Union, our Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk, who is highly experienced in dealing with the EAEU, its expansion, and development, clearly stated that the two things are incompatible," Lavrov noted. "These two [unions] are different zones of free trade, two different systems of reducing or waiving duties or tariffs. They do not align," the minister added.
Earlier, the Armenian government approved the draft decision on launching the EU accession process, and it will now be discussed by the country's parliament. This "does not mean Armenia's membership in the European Union in the strict sense of the term, as the decision on this issue must be the result of a referendum," Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan noted. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk said that Moscow considers Armenia's discussion of EU accession as the beginning of the republic's withdrawal from the EAEU, as membership in both organizations is not possible.