EAEU markets will be closed for Armenia — Russian Deputy Prime Minister on joining the EU

Armenia's accession to the EU will close the EAEU market for it, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk said on January 29.

"Opening markets with the European Union will mean closing markets with the Eurasian Economic Union, otherwise our producers in the Eurasian Economic Union will suffer. This is obvious: zeroing import customs rates with the EU will automatically mean a return to customs and to the customs tariff with the EAEU," Overchuk explained.

He reiterated that for Moscow, the beginning of accession to the European Union is "the beginning of withdrawal from the EAEU."

"Yerevan knows absolutely clearly that the consequences will be like this. No one should have any illusions here. People who are currently in discussions in Armenia claiming that it will be possible to find some kind of solution, to put it mildly, mislead the Armenian people," the Russian Deputy Prime Minister said.

Overchuk urged to wait for the results of the hearings in the Armenian parliament on this issue.

On January 9, the Armenian government approved a draft decision on the start of the EU accession process. The Armenian Parliament will consider a draft law on the start of the EU accession process at the session from February 11 to 14.