EU will deceive Armenia, even Turkey has waited for decades: Lavrov dismisses Yerevan’s hopes for integration

Sergey Lavrov, Russia’s Foreign Minister, expressed doubt about the realism of Yerevan’s European prospects, stating that the European Union will most likely deceive the expectations of Armenia’s authorities. The Russian diplomat made this statement while speaking at the International Youth Festival.

Commenting on the foreign policy course of Nikol Pashinyan’s government, the minister questioned the possibility of the republic joining the EU any time soon. As an example, he pointed to other countries that have been waiting their turn for integration for years: “I don’t see how Armenia could end up in the European Union, where Turkey, for example, or Serbia have already been standing in line for many decades.”

At the same time, Lavrov emphasized that Moscow does not intend to oppose EU integration if that is indeed the genuine will of the republic’s citizens. However, he said, it is first necessary to clearly determine whether the Armenian people have truly made that choice.