CHOLPON-ATA /Kyrgyzstan/, August 7. /TASS/. Armenia understands that simultaneous membership in the EAEU and the EU is impossible, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at the extended meeting of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council taking place in Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyzstan.

"Armenia has taken note of the statement made by the leaders of four EAEU member states on May 29, 2026, expressing support for holding a referendum in Armenia on the country’s accession to the EU. As you know, a law was adopted in Armenia in 2025 initiating the process of the republic’s accession to the EU. The strategic goal of adopting this law is to create an alternative for our country. We understand that simultaneous membership in the EAEU and the EU is impossible. However, the mere fact that this law has been adopted does not mean that Armenia currently has the opportunity to become an EU member," he said.

Yerevan has recently declared a course toward integration with the European Union. On March 26, 2025, the Armenian parliament adopted a law initiating the process of the republic’s accession to the EU. That said, Pashinyan has asserted that Yerevan does not intend to withdraw from the EAEU, expecting to combine membership in the organization with integration into the EU for as long as possible. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that integration into the EU automatically entails the termination of Armenia’s cooperation with the EAEU and the loss of all associated preferences from which Yerevan had benefited throughout its time in the Eurasian Economic Union.

At the EAEU summit held in Astana on May 29, the leaders of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan adopted a joint statement noting their shared view on the need to hold a nationwide referendum in Armenia regarding EU accession or continued membership in the EAEU.