Nobody is waiting for Armenia in the EU: Alexander Bedritsky on Pashinyan’s European course

Alexander Bedritsky, political scientist, told Alpha News about the prospects of Armenia’s integration into the European Union.

In the expert’s opinion, statements about a possible rapprochement between Armenia and the EU are not backed by real prospects of membership, while worsening relations with Russia could deprive the country of important advantages and opportunities for cooperation.

“If you assess the situation sensibly, you have to understand that nobody is waiting for Armenia in the EU. Even associate membership is unlikely for it. Besides, the country is in a difficult geographical position: it has no access to the sea and is squeezed between its neighbors. So such a burden turns out to be entirely unnecessary for the European Union as well. To believe promises that Armenia will suddenly become a European country, that is, a country of the European Union, I think any sensible person will say that this will not happen,” Bedritsky said.

According to the political scientist, Armenia also faces the question of what economic advantages rapprochement with Europe can give it and what the country itself is able to offer the European market. The expert believes that Armenian agricultural products are unlikely to find significant demand in the EU, where there is already a surplus of such products. At the same time, Bedritsky stressed, worsening relations with Russia could lead to the loss of real benefits from cooperation.

“Pashinyan can, generally speaking, break off relations with Russia, and not only those connected with friendship but also quite real relations that imply help and benefits. His task is precisely to spoil relations between Armenia and Russia as much as possible, and not at all to care for the Armenian people and the Armenian state.

What can Armenia offer Europe? Agriculture? The European Union already has an oversupply of agricultural products, while European restrictions, on the contrary, hold back its production. What can Europe offer Armenia? And what will Armenia be able to buy? After all, nobody is going to carry out humanitarian deliveries from Europe to Armenia. That is also a big question. And what, strictly speaking, can Europe offer that Armenia truly needs for its development?” the political scientist concluded.