YEREVAN. – The important thing for Armenia is not the Eurasian Union integration, but rather relations with Russia.

Ruling Republican Party (RPA) MP Lernik Aleksanyan stated the above-said at a press conference on Tuesday.

In Aleksanyan’s view, had Armenia refused to join the Eurasian Union, this would have created serious obstacles for the country in terms of future cooperation with Russia.

In addition, as per the RPA MP, today’s Armenian national economy is more prepared to join the Eurasian Economic Union (EaEU), than the European Union.

“Entering the European market is not so easy. As for the EaEU, we have established ties, a shared history within the [ex-]USSR, common interests, and cultural and mindset similarities with the countries of this organization,” Aleksanyan stated.

The politician also noted that although the sanctions against Russia will have an impact on the economies of the EaEU countries as well as Armenia, it is still difficult to predict how substantial this impact will be.

Aleksanyan stressed, however, that the Western sanctions also will become an impetus for the development of the Russian economy, and Armenia also will stand to gain from this development.

“Additional opportunities, first of all, in agriculture, will open before Armenia,” the MP noted.

“[But] there has not been and will not be a customs checkpoint between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh,” Lernik Aleksanyan concluded.