Russian Ambassador to Armenia Sergey Kopyrkin has said Armenia will have to choose between the European Union and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), but it should understand that remaining a member of the EAEU is in its best interests.

Axar.az reports that the ambassador said this in an interview with Public Radio of Armenia.

“Russia has made its position clear and openly stated that Armenia cannot move in a different direction while maintaining its current ties,” he said.

“At the same time, we cannot ignore the fact that the European Union is now very different from what it was several years ago, including in the context of its relations with Russia. Therefore, a choice must be made. In our view, remaining a member of the EAEU is clearly in the interests of the Republic of Armenia, as it provides significant benefits. The facts show that Armenia's membership in the EAEU is beneficial in terms of trade growth and GDP expansion. However, the choice is ultimately up to Armenia and the Armenian people, and we would like this decision to be made as soon as possible,” Kopyrkin added.

Commenting on temporary restrictions imposed by Russia on imports of certain Armenian products, the diplomat said he was guided by the official positions of Russia's consumer protection watchdog, Rospotrebnadzor, and agricultural regulator, Rosselkhoznadzor.

He noted that these agencies are responsible for ensuring the safety of products entering the Russian market, including those supplied by other EAEU member states.

“Inspections have been carried out, and, as far as I know, the agencies have issued statements calling for greater efforts to ensure that products comply with the phytosanitary and sanitary standards required by the Russian market,” Kopyrkin noted.