I Have Never Heard That EU Membership Is Determined by Self-Declaration: Zakharova on Pashinyan's Remarks

I have never heard that EU membership is determined by self-declaration. This was stated during a press briefing by Maria Zakharova, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, while commenting on Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's remarks about declaring the South Caucasus as an EU region.

“The second point is that it is the sovereign prerogative of each state to determine its national course, if it is democratic and aligns with the aspirations and interests of the people. Therefore, naturally, every country is free to choose what it deems necessary, as we have repeatedly stated,” Zakharova said.

“We are committed to all these obligations; for us, this is not an empty expression; these are the interests of our countries' people... Therefore, there are various political formulations, but there is the specific life of people,” she added.

“In my opinion, it is the duty of every state official and the whole apparatus of state institutions to remember that the people come first, that everything must be done for the benefit of the people, and that one must work towards the goals and challenges set by the people, as this is a matter of democracy,” she stated.