Russia recalls Armenia ambassador over EU ties
Russia announced on Saturday it had recalled its ambassador to Yerevan over Armenia's efforts to strengthen its ties with the European Union . Armenia historically has strong economic, diplomatic and security ties to Russia, but its government has in recent years increasingly pi
Russia announced on Saturday it had recalled its ambassador to Yerevan over Armenia's efforts to strengthen its ties with the European Union .
Armenia historically has strong economic, diplomatic and security ties to Russia, but its government has in recent years increasingly pivoted toward the West .
The Caucasian country held an Armenia-EU summit earlier in May, which Brussels hailed as a "leap forward" in ties.
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Moscow said that Armenia's rapprochement with Brussels could undermine its membership in a Russian-led economic bloc.
"The Russian ambassador to the Republic of Armenia, S. Kopyrkin, has been recalled to Moscow for consultations on steps taken by the Armenian leadership on a rapprochement with the European Union, undermining cooperation within Eurasian Economic Union," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) is a single market which, besides Armenia, is also made up of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.
Moscow has previously stressed that Armenia can't be a member both of the EU and the EEU.
