In an interview with the Russian newspaper Kommersant, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan did not mention the price of gas around which Armenian-Russian negotiations are currently taking place. He stressed that the negotiations on this issue have an allied character, since it is allies — two member countries of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) — who are negotiating.
“Let me not speak about numbers; what matters is the substance, not the numbers,” Pashinyan said, expressing confidence that the issue will be resolved.
In response to an observation that the EAEU has an observer status, that the first observer country is Moldova, and that if Azerbaijan were to say it wants to become an observer, what would Armenia’s position be, Pashinyan responded: “Let it say so, then we will see.” To the question, “So you will not say no from the outset?”, the Prime Minister of Armenia replied: “When it says so, then we will discuss it. Our relations with Azerbaijan are no secret, so at this point I do not wish to discuss that at all.”
On the issue of arms sales to Azerbaijan by Russia and Belarus, Pashinyan said this is a matter for the CSTO.
Speaking on the question of biological laboratories in Armenia, he noted that the Armenian and Russian sides are currently working on a memorandum. Pashinyan added that these laboratories pose no threat to Russia, as they have no military significance. According to Nikol Pashinyan, these laboratories, created thanks to American material assistance, are aimed at ensuring Armenia’s biological security.
In the interview with Kommersant, the Prime Minister of Armenia once again expressed gratitude to Russian President Vladimir Putin for the agreement to ensure the security of Armenians in the city of Qamishli, in northern Syria, and to maintain their security in the future as well.
The Kommersant journalist also mentioned the interview of Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan with the British BBC programme Hard Talk, noting that the conversation was about which path Armenia has chosen — Europe, with its values and principles, or Putin’s EAEU. Pashinyan stressed that Armenia does not face such a choice, since it is a member of the EAEU and has an agreement with the European Union on a comprehensive and enhanced partnership. According to him, Russia is not opposed to Armenia’s cooperation with the European Union, and the EU is not opposed to Armenia’s membership in the EAEU.
It became known from the interview that in the first half of the coming year Pashinyan will make an official visit to Russia, and Putin will visit Armenia in the second half.
