Zahharova Warns Armenia

Armenia is gaining specific benefits from its membership in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), while the European Union (EU) only offers baseless promises, said Maria Zakharova, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, during a press briefing today.

Zakharova reminded that Russian officials have repeatedly voiced similar positions in the past. "The undeniable and real advantages of participating in Eurasian integration for official Yerevan and the Armenian people are incomparable with the unfounded promises from Brussels. The benefits of cooperation with the EAEU are confirmed by numbers and facts. It is also known whom and how they are deceiving in Brussels," the diplomat stated.

She emphasized that at this stage, Armenia has not even received candidate status for EU membership, and the accession process could take decades. Moreover, there is a question of whether the EU is genuinely interested in Armenia's membership or considers it merely as a temporary geopolitical tool.

"We have already seen how the European Union treats several countries. Once the interest fades, the responsibility for the promises made will also disappear. The cases of Ukraine and Moldova confirm this: they have found themselves in a Brussels dependence politically and economically," Zakharova added.

She also warned about the practical consequences of Armenia withdrawing from the EAEU. According to Zakharova, if the country joins the EU, it will lose the opportunity for free movement of goods and services within the EAEU, leading to increased tariffs, heightened prices for consumers, and decreased competitiveness of national products. Armenia would also lose advantages in labor and technical regulations, as well as in sanitary and phytosanitary norms and other areas.

"All these consequences need to be understood now so that later the Armenian people do not ask why they were not informed about it," Zakharova concluded.