Pashinyan once again stated that the strategic goal of the current authorities is to create alternatives for the Armenian people.

ArmInfo. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan once again stated that the current government's strategic goal is to create alternatives for the Armenian people. He stated this in an interview with Radio France International in response to a question about whether the current Armenian government seeks EU membership.

Pashinyan admitted that the Armenian government ultimately aspires to become a full member of the European Union. He said this is one of the options, since the EU must first decide on expansion, and Armenia's desire alone is not enough.

"As I have said repeatedly, our strategic goal is to create alternatives for the Armenian people," Pashinyan said. He added that their task is to create an environment in which the Armenian people themselves can decide whether to be part of the EU, the Eurasian Economic Union, or not. According to him, the Armenian authorities will in any case follow the path of compliance with all EU standards.

At the same time, the Armenian Prime Minister avoided answering the question of the persecution of the opposition in the country, which runs counter to the democratic principles on which the EU is based. In an attempt to justify the persecution of his opponents, Pashinyan offered illogical justifications without saying anything substantive. To reinforce his point, he began to talk about the work of the Anti-Corruption Committee, which, "by coincidence," only detains opposition representatives and fails to detect criminal activity by those loyal to the authorities.

Regarding tensions in Armenian-Russian relations and the restrictive measures imposed by Russia on Armenian agricultural products, Pashinyan again repeated the point about the authorities' desire for the Armenian people to have an alternative in everything.

To reinforce his point, he cited the example of gasoline prices in the country and globally. At the same time, the Armenian prime minister, apparently unfamiliar with gasoline prices in Armenia, which jumped significantly in September, assured that it was precisely thanks to the government's diversification policy that they managed to avoid serious shocks in the country's energy market.

"For example, in the past, the import of gasoline and petroleum products in Armenia was highly centralized, and we had serious problems despite any external influence. Today, we have several dozen organizations engaged in gasoline imports. This has allowed us to more smoothly weather crises in the international energy market," he noted.

According to Pashinyan, Armenia has barely felt the crisis that arose in the Russian fuel market amid the fighting around Ukraine. He also omitted the fact that gasoline prices in the country had increased by about 100 drams per liter in the past month, from 540 drams to 630 drams, surpassing all other countries in the region in price.

He then reiterated that the country's authorities do not intend to hold a referendum on the republic's membership in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and the EU in the near future, noting that this is currently unrealistic. Pashinyan also emphasized that the Armenian authorities do not intend to exacerbate relations with Russia or sever them. He also expressed confidence that Armenia will not suffer the same fate as Ukraine, as some Russian officials have warned Yerevan. "No, I don't think so." "I don't think so, and I'm sure it won't," Pashinyan said.

In the interview, the head of the Armenian Cabinet reiterated his views on the peace established with Azerbaijan and the reforms being carried out in the armed forces as part of the era of peace.