Russian Foreign Ministry calls on Armenia to hold a referendum before applying for EU membership

Armenian authorities should first determine public opinion on the country's accession to the European Union (EU) through a referendum and only then submit an official application to Brussels. This view was expressed by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Pankin, as reported by Izvestia.

“Logic dictates that a referendum should be held first to ask the people, and only then should an official application be submitted to Brussels, rather than the other way around, as Armenia's leadership has been publicly advocating in recent months,” the diplomat said.

Pankin noted that Nikol Pashinyan's government's drive towards European integration has created a contradictory situation. In his assessment, the economic benefits Yerevan derives from its membership in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) are being used to promote the idea of joining another integration bloc.

The Russian Deputy Foreign Minister stressed that holding a nationwide referendum would be consistent with Armenia's constitutional procedures for determining the country's future integration course. At the same time, he expressed concern that once an application for EU membership has been submitted, the views of Armenian citizens may no longer be taken into account.

The diplomat also referred to a report examining the possible consequences of suspending the application of the EAEU Treaty with respect to Armenia. According to Pankin, such a scenario is being considered solely as a last resort to safeguard the economic security of the other member states.