Kremlin says date of Pashinyan’s Moscow visit not agreed

Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the exact date of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s official visit to Moscow has not yet been agreed, but that a fundamental understanding remains in place for the visit to take place soon. The date-setting process is continuing through diplomatic channels in line with the leaders’ schedules.

Operative Information Center-OMM reports that the agreement on the visit was reached during a bilateral meeting held in Bishkek in early September.

Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and European Union (EU) choice: A Kremlin representative said Russia respects Armenia’s sovereign rights, but stressed that the EAEU rules and the process of integration with the EU are incompatible with each other. Yerevan is expected to make a clear choice between the two economic and political blocs.

Areas of bilateral tension: In recent months, legal steps taken by the Armenian parliament concerning the process of joining the EU, calls to terminate the concession agreement for the South Caucasus Railway, and Yerevan’s failure to mention Russia as a strategic partner in its government program for the first time have increased tensions between the two countries.

Referendum issue: During their meeting in Bishkek, Putin and Pashinyan discussed the possibility of determining Armenia’s foreign policy course—whether to remain in the EAEU or apply for EU membership—through a referendum. However, Yerevan is not rushing to hold a nationwide vote because it has not yet submitted an official application to the EU.

The meeting in Moscow is expected to be significant for the South Caucasus security architecture and Armenia’s future geoeconomic orientation.