‘Impossible to talk about the economy without politics’: Andrey Chuprygin on Pashinyan’s statement that EAEU is purely economic union

RIAC expert Andrey Chuprygin commented to Alpha News on the statement of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan that Armenia continues to perceive the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) as an economic association that should not have a political or geopolitical agenda.

“Pashinyan is now behaving like a servant of two masters. Maybe this sounds too harsh, but we mean it figuratively. On the one hand, he has already made numerous bold statements that Moscow is not fulfilling its obligations to Armenia and has almost abandoned it. On the other hand, Pashinyan really understands that Brussels is farther than Moscow, and Brussels, strictly speaking, does not have any special tools to come to the aid of Armenia in difficult times. Therefore, from a strategic point of view, it hardly makes sense to completely break off relations with Moscow. Any economic agenda somehow goes in parallel with the political one,” Chuprygin noted.

According to the expert, Pashinyan is trying to prove to Russia that he “is not leaving anywhere,” and to show Brussels that “he is marching in their direction.”

“Pashinyan cannot establish a correct dialogue with Baku in any way and is constantly looking for assistants either in Europe, in Moscow, or in Turkiye, but does not find them. I feel like Pashinyan unconsciously behaves like a girl of marriageable age who wants to see who can offer the most as a dowry. Today he says one thing, tomorrow another, and the day after tomorrow he comes to St. Petersburg and says that he came here to talk about the economy. But it won’t be possible to talk about the economy without politics, because these are like two sisters who walk holding hands,” Chuprygin concluded.