Wednesday

29th Mar 2023

Armenia to join Russia's Union, surprises EU

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan has said he wants to join a trade and political union with Russia instead of an EU alternative.

The decision was announced in a statement on the Kremlin's website during his visit to Moscow to meet Russian leader Vladimir Putin on Tuesday (3 September).

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Become an expert on Europe

Get instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

  • Sargsyan (l) in Moscow with Putin on Tuesday (Photo: kremlin.ru)

The Kremlin communique said: "The presidents reaffirmed the focus of the Russian federation and the Republic of Armenia on the further development of economic integration in the Eurasian territory … In this context, Mr Sargsyan said Armenia had decided to join the Customs Union and take the necessary practical steps to subsequently participate in the formation of the Eurasian Economic Union."

Sargsyan, before flying back to Yerevan, confirmed the news.

But he added, in a statement on his own website, that he still wants good EU relations.

"This decision is not a rejection of our dialogue with the European institutions. During recent years, Armenia, with the support of European partners held a number of important institutional reforms. And today's Armenia, in this sense, is considerably a more effective and competitive state than years ago. We intend to continue these reforms also in the future," he said.

The news came as a surprise to EU officials.

The EU has concluded negotiations on a political association and free trade pact with Armenia and expected to initial it at an EU summit with former Soviet states in Vilnius in November.

If Armenia does become a full member of the Russian-led customs bloc, along with Belarus and Kazakhstan, it cannot sign the EU pact at the same time.

But Sargsyan might be trying to cherry pick bits of the Russian offer which are compatible with the EU deal.

EU diplomats in Yerevan held crisis meetings on Tuesday evening to get an insight into events.

A European Commission spokesman told this website: "We are consulting closely with our Armenian partners. When we have all the information, we will, of course, examine all the potential implications of what was announced today."

Sargsyan's u-turn was made in the context of tricky developments on Nagorno-Karabakh.

Russia is Armenia's main security guarantor in its frozen conflict with Azerbaijan over the breakaway territory.

It has a military base in Armenia itself.

But in June this year Russia began delivery of some $1 billion of tanks, artillery and rocket launchers to Azerbaijan.

Russia in recent weeks has also threatened Moldova and Ukraine, two other former Soviet states which are seeking deeper ties with the EU.

It told Moldova that if it inks an EU deal in Vilnius it will cut trade relations and make it harder to solve its conflict with the breakaway territory of Transniestria.

It told Ukraine it will take "protective measures" on trade.

Putin has said he wants all former Soviet republics, except the Baltic states, which are EU members, to join his customs bloc.

He plans to transform it into a political union, the Eurasian Union, in 2015.

"There is a saying in Russia: It takes a long time to saddle a horse, but no time at all to make it gallop," a Russian diplomat told EUobserver, referring to the pace of progress on Russia's Eurasian plan.

Opinion

Russia shows its hand on Karabakh

If Moscow is hoping that the Caucasus will stay stable ahead of the February Winter Olympics in Sochi, its commanders on the ground do not seem to have gotten the memo.

Column

What does China really want? Perhaps we could try asking

Perhaps even more surprising to the West was the fact that the Iran-Saudi Arabia deal was not brokered by the United States, or the European Union, but by the People's Republic of China. Since when was China mediating peace agreements?

Opinion

Biden's 'democracy summit' poses questions for EU identity

From the perspective of international relations, the EU is a rare bird indeed. Theoretically speaking it cannot even exist. The charter of the United Nations, which underlies the current system of global governance, distinguishes between states and organisations of states.

Latest News

  1. The overlooked 'crimes against children' ICC arrest warrant
  2. EU approves 2035 phaseout of polluting cars and vans
  3. New measures to shield the EU against money laundering
  4. What does China really want? Perhaps we could try asking
  5. Dear EU, the science is clear: burning wood for energy is bad
  6. Biden's 'democracy summit' poses questions for EU identity
  7. Finnish elections and Hungary's Nato vote in focus This WEEK
  8. EU's new critical raw materials act could be a recipe for conflict

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. InformaConnecting Expert Industry-Leaders, Top Suppliers, and Inquiring Buyers all in one space - visit Battery Show Europe.
  2. EFBWWEFBWW and FIEC do not agree to any exemptions to mandatory prior notifications in construction
  3. Nordic Council of MinistersNordic and Baltic ways to prevent gender-based violence
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersCSW67: Economic gender equality now! Nordic ways to close the pension gap
  5. Nordic Council of MinistersCSW67: Pushing back the push-back - Nordic solutions to online gender-based violence
  6. Nordic Council of MinistersCSW67: The Nordics are ready to push for gender equality

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Azerbaijan Embassy9th Southern Gas Corridor Advisory Council Ministerial Meeting and 1st Green Energy Advisory Council Ministerial Meeting
  2. EFBWWEU Social Dialogue review – publication of the European Commission package and joint statement of ETUFs
  3. Oxfam InternationalPan Africa Program Progress Report 2022 - Post Covid and Beyond
  4. WWFWWF Living Planet Report
  5. Europan Patent OfficeHydrogen patents for a clean energy future: A global trend analysis of innovation along hydrogen value chains

Join EUobserver

Support quality EU news

Join us