Armenia cannot be a member of the European Union (EU) and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) at the same time, Russian President Vladimir Putin said, speaking with reporters, TASS reports.

According to the Russian leader, Armenia’s decision to move towards the EU is the country’s sovereign choice, but it is incompatible with simultaneous membership in the EAEU. “If you have made a decision to move towards the EU, it is a sovereign decision of any country. We [i.e. Russia] are linked to the Armenian people by historical threads of friendship—and even more than friendship.

We have very deep roots in relations with the Armenian people. But being in the two [aforesaid] organizations at the same time is simply impossible,” Putin said. He explained that there are differences in phytosanitary requirements and technical standards between these two integration associations, which is why their combination is impossible under the current conditions. "We generally have many things that are incompatible, at least as of today," the Russian president added.