YEREVAN. – The majority of Armenia’s population is for the country’s signing the document on Customs Union accession.

Nikolai Ryzhkov, Co-Chairman of the Russian–Armenian Commission on Interparliamentary Cooperation and Chairman of the Russian Commission on Natural Monopolies, stated the aforesaid at Wednesday’s press conference in Armenia’s capital city Yerevan.  

“Sooner or later, Armenia will become a member in the Customs Union, where each country will assume responsibility.

“You shall not lose the strategic partner and friend [in Russia], and Russia shall not lose its historical friend and strategic ally [in Armenia],” Ryzhkov stressed.  

The Russian official added that some people in Armenia have set their sights on the West hoping to join the European Union.

“But there are so many restrictions there, and we welcome Armenia’s decision to join the Customs Union,” Nikolai Ryzhkov stated. 

To note, following the talks that were held on September 3 in Moscow between Armenian and Russian Presidents Serzh Sargsyan and Vladimir Putin, Sargsyan had announced that Armenia plans to join the Customs Union and subsequently engage in the formation of the Eurasian Economic Union. Aside from Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan likewise are members in the Customs Union. And in response to this development, the European Union had stated that the signing of the Armenia-EU Association Agreement and the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area agreement is now doubtful.