Nikol Pashinyan Rejects EU Referendum at EAEU Summit

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced on August 7, 2026, that Armenia will not hold a national referendum to choose between membership in the European Union and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). Speaking at a meeting of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council in Kyrgyzstan, Pashinyan argued that no concrete membership offer from the EU currently exists to present to citizens, despite a March 2025 law initiating rapprochement with Brussels.

During the summit, Pashinyan called for the full implementation of the EAEU's core principles, specifically the free movement of goods, services, capital, and labor. He warned that administrative restrictions and trade obstacles reduce business predictability and could foster negative attitudes toward the organization among citizens and the business community. He urged member states to focus on the practical execution of existing decisions rather than proposing new initiatives.

The decision to defer a geopolitical choice allows Armenia to maintain critical energy and economic ties with Russia while pursuing political diversification. However, the move drew criticism from the Armenian opposition and EAEU partners, including Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. Russia has previously used export restrictions to signal the risks associated with Armenia's European trajectory.