VIDEO: Pashinyan's Response to Putin

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has addressed the issue of Armenia's membership in the EU and its continued membership in the EEU during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Bishkek.

Pashinyan stated that the Armenian side has examined the legal framework and found no violations with respect to either Russia or the EEU. "We have studied the legal framework and have found no violations against either the Russian Federation or the EEU. The regulations of the latter clearly outline what a country must do to withdraw from the union. We have not declared our intention to leave the EEU," Pashinyan said, discussing the process of EU membership.

The Prime Minister also touched upon the adoption of the law initiating the EU membership process. He mentioned that had the National Assembly not passed the law, civil society would have gathered the necessary 350,000 signatures, and failing to adopt the law again would have forced Armenia to hold a referendum. "In fact, by adopting this law, we have renounced the idea of a referendum. And we have done so because the issue is not yet mature," Pashinyan told Putin.

Pashinyan also declared that Armenia is interested in further developing its relations with Russia. "During the conflict, the relations between Armenia and Russia had a different meaning. Now that peace has been established in the region, we believe it is necessary to look at the situation with a fresh perspective," he noted.

It is important to remind that a meeting between Nikol Pashinyan and Vladimir Putin is currently taking place in Bishkek. Earlier in the meeting, President Putin stated that Armenia's aspiration to join the EU is a legal right of the country, but it creates difficulties considering Armenia's membership in the EEU. Putin also noted that the adoption of a law to start the process of joining another organization signifies a declaration of intent to withdraw from the current union. He urged Yerevan to clarify its position on EU membership as soon as possible, emphasizing that Moscow needs to understand how it will build future relations with Armenia.