“If you have decided you are joining a different union, why should we pay for it?”: Overchuk on Yerevan’s position

If Yerevan believes it will be better off in the EU than in the EAEU, it is free to make that choice, but not at Russia’s expense, Alexey Overchuk, deputy chairman of the Russian government, told RIA Novosti on the sidelines of the SPIEF.

“We support whatever Armenians themselves consider best for them… If they believe they will be more comfortable and better off in the European Union, they can go there, of course,” Overchuk said, responding to a question about whether Yerevan would move toward a final break with the EAEU.

He clarified that Yerevan is free to make such a choice if it wishes: “But not at our expense.”

According to Overchuk, Russia takes a pragmatic approach to Yerevan’s position.

“We approach this purely pragmatically: if you (Yerevan – ed.) are in a union with Russia, you have certain economic advantages,” he said.

“And if you have decided you are joining a different union, why should we pay for it?” he added.