Putin on Russia-Armenia Relations and Armenia’s EU Aspirations

Dear Nikol Levaevich, dear friends! I am very glad to see you.

First and foremost, I would like to emphasize the main point, that is where I would like to begin.

We have always advocated and continue to advocate for the development of friendly, mutually beneficial relations with Armenia, based on the principles of strategic partnership and alliance. We proceed from the fact that this serves the fundamental interests of the Armenian people and the fundamental interests of Russia.

Well, I will not repeat it again, we have noted this many times, it corresponds also to the historical roots that bind our two peoples.

Russia is the republic's main trade and economic partner, accounting for about thirty percent, and an investor in Armenia's economy.

In the first half of the current year, trade turnover amounted to two and a half billion dollars.

Mutually beneficial projects are being implemented in the field of industry and agriculture, mining, peaceful nuclear energy, transport, the digital economy.

Russian companies are the largest taxpayers to the budget of Armenia, create jobs, and transfer modern technologies, strengthen energy security of the country.

I would also note that we have repeatedly discussed issues related to Armenia's stated intention to join the European Union.

We have repeatedly addressed this topic both by phone and in personal conversations.

You know Russia's position well. Armenia's aspiration to join the EU is the natural, legitimate right of the country and its people. This is Armenia, a sover— sovereign state.

It is for the Armenian people to determine the direction of their development.

But this certainly creates difficulties in remaining in the Eurasian Economic Union and threatens to nullify the Republic's advantages in the EAEU market and the disruption of established trade chains.

Meanwhile, in more than ten years of participation in Eurasian integration processes, Armenia's GDP grew almost threefold.

In 2015, it was ten point six billion dollars, by the end of 2025, 29 point two billion dollars.

Well, that's all according to our statistics.

Exports to Union countries increased tenfold.

Today, the bloc's market accounts for around 36 percent of foreign trade turnover.

Therefore, of course, the people of Armenia must clearly express their views on the country's further political and economic course. But at the same time, as we have said, it is important to take a strictly objective approach, based on realities, and adopt appropriate measures.

And I repeat once again We will respect any choice of the Armenian people.

However Armenia decides, that is how it will be.

But we must adjust our, our trade, economic policy in light of these possible decisions.

We would ask you to make a decision on this as soon as possible.

I remember, we publicly said that you consider it necessary to later hold a referendum on this matter, and I supported your position at the last, at the latest EurAsEC summit of heads of state.

I specifically mentioned that Prime Minister Nikol Levaevich Pashinyan had announced this publicly, and also asked our colleagues to support it.

And the sooner we decide, the better. Because we also need to understand how we should develop relations with Armenia, primarily in economic terms.

Some matters, regulatory issues, for example, agricultural products, issues of regulating various technical norms and standards, are absolutely not compatible in EurAsEC and the EU.

I've been through this repeatedly. Attempts, even when we had more or less normal relations, to reach an agreement with the Europeans on some compromises led nowhere, nowhere. They're fairly tough negotiators, quite stubborn,

and so we found no way to resolve almost any issue.

Well, perhaps, someday, perhaps we'll have to do that too, bearing in mind the fundamental interests of both our economy and Europe's, meaning, their complementarity in some respects. I hope all these crisis phenomena will someday pass, but even when they do, we had good relations with Europe,

and reaching an agreement was very difficult.

And in this regard, there will certainly be problems related to the import of European goods through Armenia into our market, as well as services and so on. There are a thousand questions.

We would like to understand what will happen in this area.

But I hope that now, in a calm, friendly, businesslike atmosphere, we will discuss all these issues.