Armenia unlikely to leave CSTO and EAEU, says parliamentary speaker

Armenia is unlikely to exit the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) or the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), Armenian Parliament Speaker Alen Simonyan has stated.

“Such discussions, for example, about prices of goods or gas, are not new and have been going on for many years. I must say that if a decision is made (regarding an increase in gas prices for Armenia — ed.), then Armenia will make its decision and may ultimately leave the CSTO, the EAEU, and other structures. But I don’t think it will come to that, because I know that after this, a very good conversation took place between the leaders of the two countries — a very productive and effective one,” he said at a briefing, responding to a question about the recent meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in Moscow,  Caliber.Az reports via Armenian media.

According to Simonyan, such talks rarely take place in the public part of leaders’ discussions. “It’s a process, it’s negotiations that also include positive aspects […] I have said, and I repeat: we have done nothing against Russia, we are not doing anything against Russia, and we do not intend to do so. At the same time, however, we have defended and will continue to defend Armenia’s interests,” he added.

Pashinyan himself stated after the visit that he considered it “very successful.”

By Vugar Khalilov