Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed that Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan ask Armenian citizens whether the country wants to remain in the Eurasian Economic Union or move toward the European Union.
The meeting took place in Bishkek on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit.
“I agree that people should always have an opportunity to choose. So do it, and we will close the issue, that is all. The simplest thing now is to ask the people: what do you want, this or that? And that is it,” Putin said, according to RIA Novosti.
Pashinyan, for his part, said that, in his assessment, the issue of Armenia joining the EU has not yet reached the necessary stage.
“We decided against holding a referendum, and why did we decide against it? Because this issue… has not matured to the point where it can be put before our people,” he said.
According to Pashinyan, it is extremely important for the Armenian government that the country and its people have alternatives.
“I think this is a legitimate goal. This does not mean that we are dissatisfied with the Eurasian Economic Union. At this point, we have not informed our partners [from the EU] that we are preparing to leave the Eurasian Economic Union, and I think we should proceed from this fact,” the Armenian prime minister added.
According to a statement released by the Prime Minister’s Office, Putin said: “I repeat once again that we will respect any choice made by the Armenian people. Whatever Armenia decides, that is how it will be. But we need to adjust our trade and economic policy to those possible decisions, and we would like to ask you to provide clarity on this issue as soon as possible.
“I remember you publicly saying that you considered it necessary to hold a referendum on this issue in the future, and I supported your position at the latest summit of the leaders of the Eurasian Economic Union. I directly mentioned that Prime Minister Nikol Vovayi Pashinyan had publicly stated this and also asked our partners to support it. The sooner we have clarity, the better, because we also need to understand how to develop relations with Armenia, primarily in economic terms.
“Regulatory issues, for example those concerning agricultural products, as well as various technical regulations and standards, are completely different in the Eurasian Economic Union and the EU. We have encountered this many times. Attempts, back when our relations with the Europeans were more or less normal, to reach some kind of compromise with them produced no results, no results at all. They are fairly tough negotiators, quite persistent. And we were unable to find a way to resolve almost any issue.
“At some point, we will probably still have to do this, bearing in mind the fundamental interests of both our economy and the European economy and the fact that they are complementary in certain respects. I hope all these crisis phenomena will pass one day. But even when they do… We had good relations with Europe, yet reaching agreements was very difficult. And in this regard, there will undoubtedly be problems associated with European goods, services and so on entering our market through Armenia. There are thousands of issues involved. We would like to understand what is going to happen in this area.”
Pashinyan said it was necessary simply to acknowledge that, over recent years, the situation surrounding Armenia and across the entire region has changed.
“It seems to us that the situation should be viewed precisely from this perspective, because relations between Russia and Armenia had a different meaning in a conflict environment, whereas now, with peace established in the region, it seems to us that the situation needs to be viewed with a fresh perspective.
“As for the EU, you know, this issue is being discussed extensively both at the working level and publicly. As you know, last year we adopted the law on launching the process of Armenia’s accession to the European Union, and there has been considerable discussion about the extent to which the adoption of this law is compatible with our obligations within the Eurasian Economic Union.
“Both before and after that, we analyzed the existing treaty framework between the Russian Federation and Armenia, as well as the treaty framework within the Eurasian Economic Union, and, frankly speaking, we did not identify any violation of Armenia’s obligations toward the Russian Federation and the Eurasian Economic Union. The Treaty on the Eurasian Economic Union also explicitly sets out how to proceed if a country decides to leave the Eurasian Economic Union.
“Incidentally, there is no provision under which a member state can be expelled from the organization. In other words, it provides that if a country decides to leave the Eurasian Economic Union, it must notify its partners six months in advance. I think we should view this situation precisely from this perspective,” Pashinyan said.
In March 2025, Armenia’s parliament adopted the law “On Launching the Process of the Republic of Armenia’s Accession to the European Union.” At the same time, Pashinyan previously acknowledged that adoption of the law did not in itself mean Armenia could join the EU. That would require a formal application, obtaining candidate status, the consent of EU member states and approval by Armenian citizens.
