Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said Armenia will keep working within the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) framework and sees no current grounds for a referendum on choosing between the EAEU and the European Union.

His remarks responded to a joint statement by the leaders of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan, who suggested that Armenia should eventually clarify its strategic choice between the two integration blocs.

Pashinyan stressed that Armenia would stay in the EAEU until a choice becomes unavoidable. “We are working within the Eurasian Economic Union and will continue to do so until the point when making a choice between the European Union and the Eurasian Economic Union becomes unavoidable,” he said, adding that any such decision would ultimately rest with the Armenian people through a referendum.

He argued, however, that the question remains largely theoretical for now, since Armenia has neither formally applied for EU membership nor come close to candidate status. “Today, that choice is theoretical, and putting a theoretical choice to a referendum is neither very sensible nor justified,” Pashinyan stated.

He reiterated that there are no grounds for a referendum and said Armenia would maintain a pragmatic approach. “We will continue to work calmly and steadily, without disputes, within the Eurasian Economic Union,” he said, voicing confidence that Armenia still has untapped opportunities within the bloc to draw on in the near future.

Separately, Pashinyan defended the government’s foreign policy course, arguing that it has widened Armenia’s access to international arms markets and advanced technologies. “A balanced and balancing foreign policy does not mean doing anything abruptly,” he said, stressing that new geopolitical balances must be built carefully to avoid negative consequences.

Pashinyan pointed to the May 28 military parade as evidence of the policy’s success, noting that the equipment on display had been sourced from as many as seven countries and included domestically produced weaponry. He said the country’s access to technologies used in locally manufactured military systems had also been made possible by its diplomatic approach.

“We gained access to those technologies as a result of a balanced policy - a balanced and balancing policy,” he said.