Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Moscow’s position on Armenia’s process of joining the European Union has not changed and that, in her words, the issue should be put to an immediate national referendum.
Speaking at a briefing on September 15 during the World Youth Festival, Zakharova said the matter had been discussed many times with the Armenian side. In her assessment, Armenia’s authorities led by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan should clearly define which integration path the republic is following.
According to Zakharova, the other partners in the Eurasian Economic Union share this view. She said membership in an integration bloc implies not only a political choice, but also responsibility, risk-sharing and joint planning for the future.
She added that this also affects citizens and businesses that build their financial, economic, industrial, manufacturing and logistics strategies around such decisions.
The Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman also criticized the Armenian side’s arguments against holding a referendum. She illustrated her point with a comparison to family relations, saying it is difficult to understand a situation in which one side remains in one union while at the same time not clarifying whether it is choosing another path.
Zakharova described that ambiguity as a matter of “elementary decency,” arguing that in such a situation it should be clearly stated whether the relationship continues or whether the sides are moving in different directions.
