Pashinian said the “temporary restrictions” on Armenian agricultural products and beverages imposed over the last two weeks are “wrong steps” that will undermine Armenians’ trust in the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union (EEU).
“Yesterday I spoke with the president of Russia, who he called to congratulate me on my birthday,” he told reporters during a campaign trip to the Gegharkunik province. “We talked about current affairs, and we had a positive conversation. I think that in this context, the best step now would be to simply abandon all restrictions.”
Pashinian’s call with Russian President Vladimir Putin was followed by the announcement of an effective Russian ban on Armenian fruits. Citing sanitary grounds, Moscow earlier curbed multimillion-dollar imports of Armenian vegetables, mineral water, flowers, fish and some alcoholic beverages.
Russia has long been a key market for these products. Its punitive measures are therefore expected to hit hard many Armenian farmers and agribusiness firms.
Pashinian pledged on Tuesday to compensate them for their losses. But he did not give any details of that aid.
“Sometimes there are products that do not meet quality standards,” told supporters in Gegharkunik. “We will support those entrepreneurs to bring their products to a new quality standard. In the case of other products, when there is injustice, we will implement … a subsidy program for what should have been exported but has not been exported so that nobody suffers in our economy.”
“Your pepper or roses have spoiled [because of Russian bans?] I’ll pay for that,” he declared during another campaign meeting.
An Armenian truck carrying agricultural produce passes through the Georgian-Russian border crossing at Upper Lars, June 21, 2023.
“Who will this compensation be provided to: all of the bankrupt entities, all of the [affected] food exporters, the list of which is growing every day? … Where are you going to get that money from?” countered Hrachya Rostomian, a senior member of the Prosperous Armenia Party, one of the main opposition election contenders.
Vyacheslav Volodin, the speaker of Russia’s lower house of parliament, the State Duma, also scoffed at Pashinian’s pledges.
“He clearly doesn't care about the fate of the Armenian people or the Armenian statehood,” Volodin said in a social media post. “In this case, he believes this is how he will preserve his personal power.”
“THE PRICE WILL BE HEAVY,” he added, listing other Russian sanctions that could be imposed in retaliation against Yerevan’s pro-Western foreign policy and, in particular, its desire to join the European Union.
Volodin also said: “Pashinian is using the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) to join the European Union (EU). He's trying to solve all his problems at the expense of the EEU. Primarily, at the expense of Russia.”
On Friday, EEU member Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan joined Russia in telling Yerevan to hold “as soon as possible” a referendum on whether Armenia should join the EU or remain part of the Russian-led trade bloc. Pashinian again dismissed the demand on Tuesday, saying that he still has no plans to pull his country out of the bloc essential for its economy.
Some of Pashinian’s political allies have said that Moscow will lift the sanctions if his ruling Civil Contract party wins Sunday’s elections. The Armenia premier has reportedly given the same assurances to Civil Contract figures concerned about their severe economic impact.