Russian President Vladimir Putin and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan will discuss, among other issues, Yerevan’s EU membership aspirations and cooperation with the Eurasian Economic Union during their upcoming meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit. This was announced by Russian Presidential Aide Yuri Ushakov at a briefing, RBKreports.
“Negotiations are planned with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Vovayevich Pashinyan. We continue to insist that Armenia cannot aspire to EU membership while simultaneously receiving enormous benefits from cooperation within the Eurasian Economic Union. This issue must be resolved somehow. And the President and Prime Minister will undoubtedly talk about it,” Ushakov noted.
According to him, the situation with the arrests of Armenian opposition leaders will also become a separate topic. They advocate the development of traditional good-neighborly relations with Russia. Ushakov noted that the actions of the Armenian leadership cause "great concern" in Moscow.
"I note that, of course, this conversation will take place against a rather unusual background, so to speak, when opposition leaders are being arrested en masse, including those leaders who have advocated and have advocated for the activation of the traditional good-neighborliness between our two countries. That is, this topic will undoubtedly be touched upon. And, of course, this line of the Armenian leadership causes us great concern," Putin's aide added.
The SCO summit will be held in Bishkek from August 31 to September 1.
