Either make up your mind or face new sanctions: Moscow gives Pashinyan time to think
Official Moscow has given Nikol Pashinyan about a month: either decide between the EU and the EAEU, or we will begin a second, harsher stage of sanctions.
This is reported by the Armenian newspaper "Grapark," citing its own sources in the government.
"What exactly is meant and what to expect apart from economic sanctions and export restrictions, our sources do not know; they only cited a few fragmentary examples, which they spoke about with horror. The first is the issue of Armenian labor migrants, which Putin intends to resolve harshly and deport them from his country. Our source in the 'Civil Contract' described what would happen if 500,000 of our compatriots returned from Russia to Armenia and were left without work — one can imagine the condition of both them and the country.
The second is the closure of airspace. That is, the halting of flights to Armenia, which would lead to a decline in tourism, a sharp rise in the price of airline tickets, not to mention technical problems. Then they may move on to gas and other issues," the publication notes.
As Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin stated, Armenia needs to hold a nationwide referendum by December of this year on joining the European Union or maintaining membership in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).
He explained these deadlines by the fact that in December a meeting of the heads of the EAEU member states will take place, where it will be necessary to decide how to build relations with Yerevan going forward.
"It is obvious that if by that time the call for a referendum has not been heeded, the leaders will take this fact into account when determining the corresponding further joint steps," he noted.
Galuzin recalled that the joint statement of the presidents of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan of May 29 recorded the need to hold a nationwide referendum in the country. At the same time, no specific deadline is indicated in the document.
He noted that this issue will be raised again at the December session of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council. During the event, the heads of state will be presented with a report on the consequences that suspending the operation of the EAEU Treaty with respect to Armenia could lead to.
