Proposal to hold referendum on joining EU is made to spite interests of certain state, says foreign affairs expert

The proposal to hold a referendum on joining the European Union is made to spite the interests of a state or states, foreign affairs expert Grigor Balasanyan told Alpha News.

“Several parties appealed to the National Assembly to propose holding a referendum on joining the EU. How beneficial it is for us to start this process in such a difficult geopolitical situation is another question. Even if people express their consent to join the EU in this referendum, will we join the European Union tomorrow? Is the EU ready to take responsibility in the event of risks associated with the security of Armenia? Such risks may arise in connection with Iran and Russia. Or the situation with Armenia’s participation in the peace conference in Switzerland, at which Armenia did not sign or say anything, may be repeated.

That is, the procedure will begin, but it will not come to a referendum. I don’t think that the European Union will be happy with this procedure now since there are serious problems there and it will not want to face new ones, but I also do not exclude the possibility that this is being done to spite the interests of some state or states. All this is not being done for the benefit of Armenia or for it to become a member of the EU; on the contrary, this is being done to show teeth to some geopolitical poles and also to show that Armenia has a place to go, and if Armenia wants to join the European Union, it will welcome it with open arms,” Balasanyan said.

He emphasized that it is not the European Union but the United States that needs this process to destabilize the region.

“If we think more realistically, at the moment, it is not the European Union that needs this process. It is the United States that needs it to destabilize the region. I believe there is foreign policy interference in this process, given the visits of some senior US officials to Armenia, strained relations with one of our allies, recalls of the ambassadors, etc. All these events have a direct connection with each other and are links in one chain,” the expert concluded.