Armenian Parliament Speaker: Armenia may withdraw from CSTO and EAEU if Moscow escalates
Armenian Parliament Speaker Alen Simonyan reacted to information about harsh demands from Russian President Vladimir Putin during negotiations with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and did not rule out that this issue could have far-reaching consequences for the country.
Alen Simonyan
Alen Simonyan emphasized that if Moscow truly takes some sharp steps in the economic or political sphere, Armenia will respond with its own decision. Among the possible scenarios, he even named withdrawal from the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).
At the same time, the politician noted that he does not consider such a conflict scenario likely. According to him, after discussions between Vladimir Putin and Nikol Pashinyan, a "constructive and productive" dialogue took place, which allows hope for resolving contentious issues without drastic steps.
Separately, he touched upon the topic of gas prices. According to him, such negotiations between Armenia and Russia have been ongoing for a long time, and the issue of energy prices is regularly raised. He noted that if concrete actions appear (for example, price increases), the Armenian government will officially comment on it.
Simonyan also stressed that Armenia is not going to act against Russia and does not pursue a hostile policy. But at the same time, the country will defend its national interests — which means that in any cooperation, Armenia will try to obtain favorable conditions for itself:
"Such conversations have already taken place, and if we reach a point where we see any actions related to this, I or a representative of the government will comment on the situation. We have done nothing against Russia, we are doing nothing, and we will do nothing, but at the same time, we will protect the interests of the Republic of Armenia."