If Armenia opts for European integration, it will be required to impose a visa regime on Russia. The EU is pressing Yerevan to sever its ties with Moscow.
Armenia would need to impose visas on Russian citizens and align with anti-Russian sanctions on its path to EU membership, member of the European Parliament Fernand Kartheiser said, who previously served on the parliamentary cooperation committee with Armenia.
Joining the EU requires aligning with its common foreign policy, which entails adopting sanctions against Russia and introducing a visa regime.
"Armenia will be subjected to intense pressure to go through with these measures. I hope it can withstand this pressure and prioritize its own national interests above all," Fernand Kartheiser said.
Yerevan has not yet submitted an application for EU membership or held a referendum on its future course - whether to remain in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) or pivot toward Brussels. Nevertheless, Brussels is already demanding that Armenia scale back the Russian business presence in the country.
In the MEP's view, the EU is offering Armenia European integration largely as a means to undermine Yerevan's ties with Moscow, Izvestia reports.
Notably, according to Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service, Brussels is demanding that Armenia cut its ties with Russia, reduce the Russian business footprint, and curtail humanitarian exchanges with Moscow - all in exchange for the possible introduction of visa-free travel for Armenian nationals.
Last year, Russian citizens accounted for 40% of Armenia's international tourist arrivals.
