Tuesday, October 29 2019 10:45

ArmInfo. Armenia does not take the approach of choosing between Europe and Russia. This was stated by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in an interview with  Kommersant special correspondent Vladimir Solovyov.

According to him, on October 25, a free trade agreement was signed  between the EAEU and Serbia, and it is very likely that Belgrade will  become a member of the European Union. "And what will happen then?   This is very good, because for us cooperation is the approach that we  all must demonstrate. We, Armenia, do not perceive the situation that  we must choose between Europe and Russia. In the 18th century,  representatives of the Armenian elite We worked to ensure that Russia  came to our region. Why did this happen? Because then the  representatives of the Armenian elite perceived the situation so that  Russia would come to our region and bring European values with it.  Russia is a European country for us. Armenia is also a European  country, Belarus is also a European country. For us, Russia is an  integral part of European civilization. This is not only our modern  perception - this is our historical perception>, "said Nikol  Pashinyan.

He recalled that Israel Ori, who is known as the initiator of  Russia's arrival in the South Caucasus, began his mission from  Europe. "I tried to bring European troops to Armenia to free our  region from Turks and Persians. He first went to Germany, to the  Palatinate, then to Austria-Hungary. And Leopold I, the emperor of  the Holy Roman Empire with a throne in Vienna (then the empire  included both Austria and Hungary), advised him to turn to Russian  Tsar Peter I. European monarchs advised Armenians to get in touch  with Europe with the help of Russia. That is, Russia came to our  region as a European force. Russian culture and civilization are an  integral part of ev It's true that Russia is also part of Eurasian  civilization. Russia itself is an example of how East and West can  harmoniously coexist, "the head of government noted, adding that many  European leaders among their priorities talk about the need to  establish normal relations with Russia.  "They tell me this in  official conversations. But for us there is no East-West choice. We  are members of the EAEU, and we have an agreement on a comprehensive  and expanded partnership with the EU. Russia is not against our  cooperation with the EU, and the EU is not against our membership in  the EAEU, "the Armenian Prime Minister emphasized.

At the same time, he did not comment on the situation in Georgia and  Ukraine, which many observers point to the opposition of the West  with Russia. "I would not comment on the situation in Georgia and  Ukraine. I want to emphasize once again and really want all our dear  Russians to fix this fact. Changes have occurred in Armenia in 2018.  A non-violent, velvet, popular revolution has taken place. Why did it  turn out non- violent? There is a main reason, because there was not  a single foreign force that would be involved in this process. There  was no geopolitical background. Personally, my team and I did not  allow any foreign fact to interfere in our internal process. .  Therefore, as we have it all happened and we said that we will not  have reverse in foreign policy, we do not, and will not "-.. Stated  by the Prime Minister.  He also said that he intends to visit Russia  in 2020 on his first official visit. "In Yerevan, we exchanged  invitations with Vladimir Vladimirovich (Putin.- Kommersant). We  agreed that I would come on an official visit first, then he would  come. Maybe in the first half of the year I will come, in the second  half - Vladimir Vladimirovich will visit Armenia" - concluded Nikol  Pashinyan.