Putin Warns Armenia on Joining EU      04/02 06:12

   

   MOSCOW (AP) -- Russia's President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday warned 
Armenia, which aspires to join the European Union, that it won't be able to be 
part of both the EU and a Moscow-led economic alliance.

   Armenia, which signed a U.S.-brokered agreement last year ending decades of 
hostilities with Azerbaijan, has increasingly sought to forge closer ties with 
the U.S. and the EU. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has declared an 
intention to join the EU and his government has suspended the country's 
participation in a Moscow-dominated security pact, the Collective Security 
Treaty Organization.

   Speaking at the start of talks with Pashinyan in Moscow, Putin said Russia 
is "absolutely calm" about Armenia's efforts to forge closer ties with the EU, 
but he noted that for Armenia "it's impossible to be in a customs union with 
the EU and the Eurasian Economic Union."

   The Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union, created in 2015 and also including 
Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, is a single market allowing the 
free movement of goods, capitals and labor.

   Putin's statement appeared to send a warning signal as prospects for 
Armenia's EU membership look distant and no prospective tariff-free deal 
between Armenia and the EU has been discussed yet.

   The Russian leader noted that the two blocs have widely different market 
regulations regarding various groups of goods and that reaching common ground 
is unlikely any time soon. He said that it's up to Armenia to set its course, 
but he emphasized that the country is currently getting Russian natural gas at 
a much lower price compared to the European prices.

   Pashinyan, in turn, said that he realizes that Armenia can't simultaneously 
be a member of both blocs, but for now it can combine its membership in the 
Eurasian Economic Union with developing cooperation with the EU. "Ties with 
Russia are very deep and important for us," he added.

   Armenia's relations with its longtime sponsor and ally Russia have grown 
increasingly strained after Azerbaijan fully reclaimed the Karabakh region in 
2023, ending decades of ethnic Armenian separatists' rule there.

   Armenian authorities accused Russian peacekeepers who were deployed to the 
region of failing to stop Azerbaijan's onslaught. Moscow, busy with the 
conflict in Ukraine, has rejected the accusations, arguing that its troops 
didn't have a mandate to intervene.

   Putin argued Wednesday that Pashinyan's decision in 2022 to recognize that 
Karabakh was part of Azerbaijan made it impossible for Moscow to intervene. He 
noted that a U.S.-mediated peace deal signed last year between Armenia and 
Azerbaijan and a prospective transport corridor promoted by U.S. President 
Donald Trump opened up new prospects for regional cooperatiion.

   Putin also voiced hope that pro-Russia forces will be allowed to freely 
compete in Armenia's parliamentary elections set for June, noting that some of 
their representatives have been put in custody - an apparent reference to 
Russian-Armenian billionaire Samvel Karapetyan, a critic of Pashinyan who was 
arrested last year after calling for the ouster of the government.

   Pashinyan, who has been in office since 2018, responded thatArmenian law 
bans holders of Russian passports from taking part in elections.