Armenia will lose EAEU privileges and “get involved” in sanctions against Russia: Shoigu on Armenia's rapprochement with the EU

Armenia's accession to the European Union will mean that it will have to join anti-Russian sanctions and arms supplies to Ukraine, Russian Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu has warned.

“Armenia will have to join the European sanctions and military-political decisions of the European Union, including through such instruments as the EU's Common Security and Defense Policy and the European Peace Fund. This fund financially supports the armed forces of the Nazi regime in Ukraine,” he told reporters.

According to Shoigu, these steps will be directed not only against Russia and Belarus, but also against Iran, Armenia's trade turnover with which amounted to more than $737 million by the end of 2024.

He also reminded about the loss of privileges, in case the process of joining the European Union starts. This concerns the EAEU's single labor market, simplified registration, free medical care, free education and much more.

“According to the most conservative estimates, leaving the EAEU at the stage of the negotiation process on joining the European Union will cost Armenia 30-40% of its GDP. This will cause critical damage to the country's economy, and the drop in production, labor market contraction, rising unemployment and inflation will lead to a sharp decline in living standards. At the same time, Yerevan should not count on generous subsidies from the EU, given the state of the European economy,” Shoigu said.

In addition, Armenia will have to restructure the entire system of standards and certification to meet EU requirements. “In practice, this means at least stagnation and at most destruction of the existing industry, including metallurgical, food and light industries,” the secretary of the Russian Security Council added.

Remittances to Armenia from Russia provide about 15% of the country's GDP. And drastic changes will lead to the return of Armenians working in Russia to their homeland, it will be necessary to create new jobs, “and the country does not have the necessary investment resources for this,” Shoigu noted.

In February, the Armenian parliament passed in the first reading a draft law in which the authors, referring to “the will of the people,” announce the beginning of the process of Armenia's accession to the European Union. The authors of the draft claim that by doing so they aim to “make Armenia a safe, secure, developed and prosperous country.”

Reprinted from https://am.sputniknews.ru/