14 Mar 2023 17:58

Yerevan not going to leave EAEU - Pashinyan

YEREVAN. March 14 (Interfax) - Armenia does not intend to withdraw from the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), although the West has concerns about its possible circumvention of anti-Russian sanctions, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said.

"The EAEU is an opportunity for Armenia's dynamic economic growth. Obviously, these opportunities will level off if Armenia falls under sanctions. The West has been voicing concern about whether Armenia is trying to circumvent anti-Russian sanctions. It is a threat," Pashinyan said at a press conference on Tuesday.

According to him, Armenia is not going to leave any organization, including the EAEU.

"We will do everything so that Armenia remains a maximally responsible member of the international community," Pashinyan said.

He also said that Armenia had been accused of being neutral about Russian actions in Ukraine.

"We have been accused of both neutrality and bias. Our stance is structured in a certain way, considering that we are members of the EAEU, the CSTO and the CIS, as well as the UN, the Council of Europe, the OSCE, and the international community at large. We cannot live on a separate globe. So, we seek to be a maximally honest partner and ally, while remaining a responsible member of the international community in our stance. But the further it goes, the harder it gets and will get harder," Pashinyan said.

The EAEU comprises Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia. Moldova, Uzbekistan and Cuba are observer states.