“Right now the situation is quite difficult and … it will become more difficult over the next six months,” Narek Karapetian told journalists, alluding Russia’s recent bans on key imports from Armenia.
“Sixty-five percent of our trade is with or through one country (Russia), and yet we are following a path that will end our relations with that country,” he said. “This despite the fact that we don’t have normal economic ties with the European Union.”
Moscow banned the multimillion-dollar imports of Armenian agricultural products and mineral water more than two months ago as it pressed Yerevan to choose between remaining part of a Russian-led trade bloc and continuing to seek EU membership. It threatened to impose more economic sanctions on the South Caucasus country heavily dependent on Russia.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian has made clear in recent weeks that he will stick to his European integration policy. Pashinian has also downplayed the sanctions’ impact on the Armenian economy while urging the Russians to lift them.
“There have been statements that things will get more problematic,” said Karapetian. “That is why we believe that the Armenian political thought should find solutions to get out of this economic impasse.”
He did not specify what those solutions could be. Strong Armenia, which is led by his uncle and Russian-Armenian billionaire Samvel Karapetian, has been careful not to make pro-Russian public statements. Pashinian and his political allies have repeatedly branded Karapetian as a Russian agent.
In an apparent effort to disprove those claims, the opposition bloc, which finished second in the June 7 parliamentary elections, unexpectedly decided this week to have one of its lawmakers head the new Armenian parliament’s committee on European integration.
Narek Karapetian said Strong Armenia hopes to thereby demonstrate that it stands for a “real diversification” of the country’s foreign relations. He singled out the need to expand its commercial ties with the EU.
“Armenia needs to have multiple partners in order for its economy to be stable,” he said.