Pashinyan to skip the EAEU summit in Astana following Putin's threats

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan will not personally attend the EAEU summit to be held in Astana on May 28–29, delegating his deputy, Mher Grigoryan, to represent him. The politician explained his decision by citing his busy schedule ahead of the parliamentary election campaign, scheduled for June 7, as well as the military parade in Armenia on May 28. 

This was reported by News.am.

According to Pashinyan, he had informed the leaders of Russia and Kazakhstan of his absence in advance during his visits in April. This statement came amid escalating diplomatic tensions between Yerevan and Moscow after the Armenian prime minister skipped the May 9 parade in Moscow. As a result, Putin issued a sharp statement, suggesting that Armenia hold a referendum on withdrawing from the EAEU and joining the EU for a “civilized divorce,” drawing parallels with the war in Ukraine.

Despite pressure from the Kremlin, Pashinyan emphasized in his media statements that the country currently has no plans to put the issue of EAEU membership to a nationwide referendum. The situation indicates a further cooling of relations between the two states, although Armenia officially remains a member of the economic bloc. At the same time, the prime minister’s demonstrative refusal to travel to Russia or attend joint events underscores the country’s course toward diversifying its foreign policy.

The first-ever Armenia-EU summit took place in Yerevan.

Armenian National Assembly Speaker Alain Simonyan stated on Wednesday, May 6, that his country cannot be an example of dependence like Belarus.