Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said he finds it hard to see how Armenia could join the European Union before countries that have been waiting for membership for decades. PAN.am reported the remarks, citing RIA Novosti.
According to Lavrov, if the issue is the Armenian government’s ambition under Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to join the EU, those expectations could end in disappointment. He said he could not imagine Armenia entering the bloc ahead of Turkey and, for example, Serbia, both of which have long sought accession.
Lavrov made the comments during the International Youth Festival, which is being held in Yekaterinburg from September 11 to 17.
The report also recalls that Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Russian President Vladimir Putin met in Bishkek. At that meeting, Putin said Armenia’s aspiration to join the EU is the natural and legitimate right of the country and its people, stressing that Armenia is a sovereign state and that the Armenian people will decide the direction of its development.
At the same time, Putin said such a move creates difficulties for Armenia’s membership in the Eurasian Economic Union. He warned that it could deprive the country of its advantages in the Eurasian Economic Union market and disrupt established trade chains.
