Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has warned that Russia’s restrictions on Armenian exports are calling into question the future of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), saying the dispute could mark “the beginning of the end” for the Moscow-led bloc if it is not resolved soon.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk expressed concern about Armenia's current foreign policy course, stating in an interview with TASS that the country is approaching a "point of no return" due to the "temptations" of the West. He warned that Armenia's further rapprochement with its Western partners would entail a reconsideration of economic relations by Moscow.
Overchuk addressed the issue of Russian railway management in Armenia. According to him, Russia does not object to the expansion of Armenian export markets, but rejects Prime Minister Pashinyan's proposals to transfer infrastructure to third countries.
In the energy sector, Moscow is closely monitoring the situation surrounding the Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant and Yerevan's plans to attract Western technology, Overchuk noted. He expressed the opinion that Armenia's potential rapprochement with the European Union, a bloc "hostile to Russia," leads to "long-term, grave consequences."
Particular attention was paid to the Meghri section (the "Trump Route"), which, according to Overchuk, the United States views as a key transportation corridor and a tool for controlling Iran. The Deputy Prime Minister concluded that only Russia's active participation in the regional settlement can guarantee the necessary balance of interests.