YEREVAN.- Eurasian union is more beneficial for Armenia than integration with the EU, former defense minister Vahan Shirkhanyan told reporters.

He is confident that today friendly relations with Russia are the only security guarantee for Armenia.

“We must realize that not a single structure, including NATO, can give us such guarantees. If we imagine that Armenia enters the alliance, can we reckon on security if Turkey is one of the member states?” he wonders.

Benefits in all areas are more realistic and achievable, if Armenia joins the Customs Union and other projects of Eurasian integration, than the programs of European integration.

“They say the obstacle is absence of the common border. But in fact we do not have it with the EU either. And with the Eurasian Union, it may appear. Iran has recently announced that it is considering the possibility of joining the Eurasian Union,” he added.