YEREVAN, September 2. /TASS/. The European Union is not currently ready to accept Armenia as a member, which is why Yerevan is seeking to postpone a referendum on EU accession, economist Grant Mikaelyan said in an interview with TASS.
Mikaelyan pointed to Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s differing statements on EU membership and the referendum. According to the economist, Pashinyan tells domestic audiences that a referendum should be held, while suggesting in statements addressed to Russia that it should not take place.
Mikaelyan recalled that, in a speech to parliament on August 24 outlining the government’s program for the next five years, Pashinyan said a referendum on EU membership would definitely be held, while also stressing that the time was not yet right for it.
"But, essentially, the question is this: the European Union is not yet ready to accept Armenia into its ranks. That is, the EU has made no proposal, and therefore, a referendum is inappropriate at this time," Mikaelyan said.
The economist also rejected Pashinyan’s claim that the authorities adopted the law on EU accession in order to avoid holding a referendum. According to Mikaelyan, no referendum is currently necessary, and the initiative to hold one came from Pashinyan himself, meaning that the prime minister would have no difficulty abandoning the idea.
