CIS chief urges Armenia to clarify EAEU or EU direction ahead of Astana summit

Armenia faces renewed pressure to define its long-term geopolitical direction between closer integration with the European Union and continued membership in Russia-led structures, a senior regional official has said.

The Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), Sergey Lebedev, said the issue concerning Armenia would be discussed “in a friendly manner” at the upcoming summit in Astana, but stressed that Yerevan ultimately needed to make a clear choice.

“In my view, [this issue] will be discussed in a friendly way. On the other hand, there is a fundamental question: are you choosing the EAEU or the EU? The EU is a very long story — many countries want to join the EU, and accession takes years. The EAEU is a reality that cannot be ignored at present. A lot depends on this,” he told Vesti.

“That is why, regarding the EAEU, as both [Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan] and many other figures have already stated, no one intends to break away. Therefore, cooperation will continue. As for the EU, we will see,” he added.

The CIS Secretary-General also said that the Armenian deputy prime minister attending the EAEU summit is “a competent person,” and that discussions will be held with him.