On Armenia’s Entry into Eurasian Union: “What Does Karabakh Have to Do With It?”

In the Armenian National Assembly today, RA Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Manasaryan didn't answer the question of whether the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh will be in the Eurasian Economic Union together with the Republic of Armenia.  

He said it wasn't determined that Armenia would sign the contract in Astana today, so we shouldn't think that something went wrong.  

"The issues weren't about conceptual issues, but with the road map. They referred to purely technical issues," he said. 

Prosperous Armenia Party MP Vahan Babayan three times asked the official whether Karabakh would also be part of the Eurasian Union or not. 

The deputy foreign minister first said, "What does Karabakh have to do with it?" then avoided answering the question, repeating that the fundamental issues were resolved, and all that remains is resolving the technical issues. 

"Do you consider the issue of Nagorno-Karabakh technical?" asked Babayan. 

"No, it's a matter of principle, and the negotiations on such issues were concluded," he said, adding that Armenia is entering the Eurasian Economic Union and Karabakh doesn't have anything to do with it.

Note, Kazakh Presdient Nursultan Nazarbayev in Astana today shared a letter from Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev to the Eurasian Economic Union, in which he says that Armenia may join the Union with the UN-recognized state borders with which it joined the World Trade Organization.