EU and EAEU memberships are not mutually acceptable – Zakharova

The process of unblocking transport communications in the South Caucasus has stalled due to the West’s destructive influence, and Armenia’s position also often raises questions, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said in a press briefing on Thursday.

The diplomat highlighted that, to address the critical task of unblocking transportation links and economic ties in the South Caucasus—based on high-level agreements reached between the leaders of Russia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan from 2020 to 2022—a specialized trilateral working group was established.

“A lot of work has been done within its framework to coordinate both the legal framework and the technical parameters for restoring transport routes between Armenia and Azerbaijan, guided by principles of mutual sovereignty,” she said.

At the same time, Zakharova noted that the situation has recently become more complicated: “We see the destructive influence of Western countries, and the position of the Armenian authorities sometimes, and sometimes quite often, raises questions for us. Due to these two factors, cooperation and collaboration in the group have stalled.”

“We firmly believe that the prompt resumption of full cooperation in the aforementioned group will not only contribute to the restoration of the transport and logistics system of the South Caucasus and integrate it into broader cargo transportation networks from Europe to Asia and back but will also ensure the further socio-economic development of Armenia, Azerbaijan and the entire region,” Zakharova stressed.

She also addressed the Armenian Parliament’s approval of the draft bill on the country’s intention to join the EU, noting that Armenia’s membership in the EU and the EAEU are mutually exclusive factors.

“EU membership and EAEU membership are not mutually acceptable. Whether this is fortunate or unfortunate depends on one’s perspective; however, they are mutually exclusive only in specific aspects—not due to ideological or political stances,” the diplomat explained.