Russia won't finance Armenia's EU integration, says deputy FM Galuzin

ST. PETERSBURG, June 4. /TASS/. Russia does not intend to pay for the consequences of Armenia’s steps toward European integration, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin said in response to a TASS question on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).

"The question of where Armenia is heading and with whom it will build its political and state future is a legitimate one. Of course, we do not intend to use the undeniable bonuses and preferences Armenia receives from membership in the Eurasian Economic Union to finance Armenia’s movement toward the European Union," the deputy minister said.

Commenting on restrictions on supplies of Armenian agricultural products to Russia, he noted that "this is a decision by the relevant authorities, driven by the need to comply with established phytosanitary import regulations for certain types of products entering Russia."

"Whether these lost volumes need to be replaced, and how they should be replaced, is a matter for the relevant Russian government agencies," the diplomat added.

"Overall, we see that, on the one hand, Armenia declares its commitment to cooperation within the Eurasian Economic Union, while at the same time taking legislative steps toward launching the process of accession to the European Union, which differs absolutely in every respect from the EAEU, and membership in which is incompatible with participation in the Eurasian Economic Union," Galuzin said.

According to him, Moscow therefore has "serious questions for Armenia in this regard."

"It has legislatively formalized not only its intention to join the European Union, but the very beginning of the accession process. Yerevan has also hosted a number of EU-related events that were openly hostile toward Russia, which is unsurprising given that the European Union today pursues an openly anti-Russian, Russophobic, and hostile policy toward us, essentially preparing for direct armed confrontation with Russia while supporting the Nazi regime in Kiev," the Russian deputy foreign minister stressed.

"We also saw how the Yerevan platform was used by the head of the Kiev regime to spread absolutely disgusting narratives and threats against Russia, including threats to strike Moscow on the sacred date of May 9. Not a single representative of the host country’s official authorities rebuked this figure," the Russian diplomat recalled.

The 29th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF-2026) is taking place on June 3-6. This year, the event is held under the theme "Pragmatic Dialogue: The Path to a Stable Future." Saudi Arabia is the guest country at SPIEF. The forum program is dedicated to shaping a new model of global development amid the ongoing transformation of the world economy.

The program includes the SME Forum, the Creative Industries Forum, the Day of the Future International Youth Economic Forum, and the Ensuring Drug Security Forum. As part of the cultural program, the Petersburg Seasons festival and the traditional SPIEF Sports Games will take place. This year, Russia’s national economic development institution VEB.RF is the title partner of SPIEF.

The Roscongress Foundation is the organizer of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. TASS is its official general information partner.