Media: Moscow not abandoning its previous demand to put EAEU membership question to nationwide referendum

ArmInfo. Russia does not believe that Russian President Vladimir Putin's call to Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan indicates a softening of Moscow's position on Yerevan's choice between the EU and the EAEU. A Kommersant source in the Russian government reported this, referring to Putin's birthday greeting to Pashinyan.

According to Kommersant's source, Moscow is not abandoning its previous demand to put the EAEU membership question to a national referendum. Furthermore, Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Head of the Russian Security Council, also sent a congratulatory message to Nikol Pashinyan. This, as Kommersant's source notes, confirms the theory that Moscow's position has not changed. Parliamentary elections will be held in Armenia on June 7. Mr. Pashinyan has stated that he will give citizens the opportunity to choose Armenia's foreign policy course themselves. Vladimir Putin warned the Prime Minister that simultaneous membership in the EU and the EAEU is impossible. Russian authorities have begun imposing restrictions on the import of Armenian products. Armenian Economy Minister Gevorg Papoyan stated that the media is greatly exaggerating the problems in relations between Yerevan and Moscow.