Фото: пресс-служба Лукашенко
During a meeting with the prime ministers of the EAEU member states, Aliaksandr Lukashenka took the opportunity to sharply criticize Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. Pashinyan did not attend the meeting. He continues to uphold his promise not to visit Belarus while Lukashenka remains in power. However, the Armenian prime minister took part in meetings of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council via video link.
Aliaksandr Lukashenka urged EAEU member states not to leave the common market. It was in this context that he mentioned Armenia.
“I ask you, do not rush to leave it. Believe me, as an old president — I have been working for 30 years — nowhere are we welcome. And then, to put it in ordinary terms, Armenia is a very important example. Well, if you have decided to join the European Union, where are you rushing? Decide clearly where they will take your brandy, where they will take your vegetables and fruit. In what quantities? Will you be able to replace what you are selling to us today? If you are convinced that France will buy your brandy (it has nowhere to put its own, but it will buy yours), fine — go ahead. Why are you rushing? Why are you putting the cart before the horse?
So, there is no need to rush to throw away what is benefiting you today. There is no need to leave this common market,” Lukashenka said.
Armenia has recently been considering the possibility of joining the European Union. In the spring, the leaders of the EAEU’s four other member states called on Yerevan to hold a referendum on the European Union and the EAEU. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan responded that, since no application to join the EU had yet been submitted, holding such a referendum would make no sense.