Russian, Armenian parliamentarians discuss referendum on Yerevan's accession to EU

Russian, Armenian parliamentarians discuss referendum on Yerevan's accession to EU Yerevan has recently been declaring its course towards integration with the EUYEREVAN, August 6. /TASS/. Armenian parliament speaker Ruben Rubinyan and Russia's upper house speaker Valentina Matviyenko have discussed a referendum on Armenia’s accession to the European Union over the phone, the Armenian legislative body said. "The agenda of relations between the Republic of Armenia and the European Union was also discussed. Ruben Rubinyan noted that the referendum on Armenia’s membership in the European Union, which the Russian Federation expects, may become practically possible only after Armenia submits an official application to the European Union and the process moves to a substantive phase," it said in a statement. Yerevan has recently been declaring its course towards integration with the EU. Last year the Armenian parliament adopted a law initiating the republic’s accession to the union. At the same time, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said the country does not intend to withdraw from the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and expects to combine membership in it with integration into the EU for as long as possible. As Russian President Vladimir Putin noted, integration into the EU would automatically entail the cessation of Armenia’s cooperation with the EAEU and the loss of all associated preferences. At a May 29 EAEU summit, the leaders of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan adopted a joint statement indicating that they share the position that Armenia should hold a nationwide referendum on joining the EU or continuing to be part of the EAEU. 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