Pashinyan refused to attend the EAEU summit and rejected Putin's referendum idea

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan will not attend the EAEU summit, which will take place on May 28-29 in Astana. He stated that the election campaign prevents him from leaving the country.

The Armenian leader added that there is currently no pressing need to hold a referendum on Armenia's membership in the EU or the EAEU.

"We are not planning to put this to a referendum. It will be held when an objective need arises," he told reporters in Yerevan after the end of the election campaign.

Pashinyan also commented on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's remarks about Moscow, made at the European Political Community summit in Yerevan.

"This is a platform for dialogue, where every participant has the right to their own opinion... I've heard Russian President Vladimir Putin's statements addressed to various countries, and I don't recall Moscow expecting a response from me," he noted.

Earlier, the Russian Foreign Ministry voiced complaints against Yerevan, declaring a violation of the agreements. Maria Zakharova emphasized at a briefing that none of those present at the summit condemned Zelenskyy for his "blasphemous" statements demonstrating "hatred and contempt for the Great Victory over Nazism."

Pashinyan previously refused to attend the military parade in Moscow, and Armenia effectively distanced itself from the CSTO military-political bloc.

The Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) is an international organization for regional economic integration. Its members are Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia.