The director of the Russian Foreign Ministry department called the EU measures to support Armenia declarative
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Director of the Department of European Problems of the Russian Foreign Ministry Vladislav Maslennikov said that the measures to support Armenia promised by the European Union are declarative in nature, and the internal market of the EU is competitive and regulated, so Armenia will have to wait for the opening of the market and membership in the EU for decades.
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Why It Matters
Armenia began the process of joining the European Union by passing a corresponding law in March 2025, while Russia has previously stated that simultaneous participation in the EU and EAEU customs union is impossible.
Director of the Department of European Problems of the Russian Foreign Ministry Vladislav Maslennikov said that measures to support Armenia from the European Union are largely declarative in nature.
According to the diplomat, the internal market of the European Union is very competitive and regulated, and candidate countries can wait decades for EU membership.
MOSCOW, September 24 – RIA Novosti. The measures to support Armenia promised by the European Union are far from reality; Yerevan will have to wait a long time for the opening of the market and membership in the association, Vladislav Maslennikov, director of the Department of European Problems of the Russian Foreign Ministry, said in an interview with RIA Novosti.
“The support measures currently offered by the EU members in Armenia are largely declarative in nature,” Maslennikov said.
He noted that the internal market of the European Union is very competitive and regulated, and Armenian products will definitely not be welcomed there with open arms. At the same time, the diplomat recalled, candidate countries, as practice shows, can wait not even for years, but for decades.
The head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, announced in June that the European Union is working on a package of support measures for Armenia, which, in particular, includes 50 million euros of financial assistance.
In March 2025, the parliament of the republic adopted a law on the beginning of the process of Armenia’s accession to the European Union. The Russian side noted that being in a customs union with both the EU and the EAEU is impossible.
Open Questions
- What concrete steps will Armenia take to advance its accession to the EU?
- How does the EU plan to overcome regulatory barriers for Armenian products on its market?
- What alternative ways of economic cooperation is Armenia considering in the context of competition in the EU market?
