The foreign ministers of EU member states and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas had what her office described as an “informal exchange over breakfast” with Mirzoyan just before their regular meeting held in Luxembourg.
According to the Armenian Foreign Ministry, Mirzoyan told them that most Armenians voiced support for their government’s “aspirations towards Europe” in the June 7 parliamentary elections the official results of which gave victory to the ruling Civil Contract party. He emphasized the fact that his first post-election visit abroad is “taking place in this format aimed at further deepening the Armenia-EU partnership.”
Russia has questioned the vote results, rejected by the Armenian opposition as fraudulent, and continued demand that Yerevan swiftly choose between seeking to join the EU or remaining part of a Russian-led economic bloc. In the run-up to the elections, it imposed de facto bans on the vast majority of Armenian-made products exported to Russia, the South Caucasus nation’s main trading partner.
The EU condemned the Russian embargo and promised to give Yerevan 50 million euros ($58 million) in urgent economic assistance and open the EU market to some Armenian goods. Armenian exports to Russia reached almost $3 billion last year, compared with $667 million worth of goods exported to EU member states.
Mirzoyan was reported to discuss with the top European diplomats ways of boosting Armenia’s trade with the EU. They agreed to “continue working in this direction,” the Armenian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Speaking before the meeting, Kallas again criticized the Russian pressure on Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s administration.
“That is why we have to support them to be resilient,” she told reporters. “That is why we are also discussing with the minister [Mirzoyan] what more can we do to help them on their path.”
Meanwhile, Moscow continued to warn Yerevan against carrying on with its pro-Western foreign policy that has also been criticized by Pashinian’s main election challengers.
“If the Armenian leadership relies solely on Western aid and support, it will certainly make a mistake and the situation in the country will worsen,” Sergei Naryshkin, the head of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service, was quoted by the official TASS agency as saying. “Of course, additional barriers and difficulties will arise in the country's economic development. But I still hope that the Armenian leadership will act wisely.”
Russia is in a position to inflict even greater economic pain on Armenia by ending a significant discount on the price of Russian natural gas imported by the country. Russian Energy Minister Sergei Tsivilev warned of such a measure in a letter sent to Yerevan late last month.