Armenia's Pashinian Vows To Focus On Economics As Chair Of Eurasia Grouping

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian said on December 25 that he plans to put economic cooperation ahead of any “political ambitions” of members when he assumes the rotating chairmanship of the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union (EAES) in 2024. Armenia’s normally tight relations with Moscow have frayed in recent years after a series of disagreements, including Yerevan’s criticism of Russia for what it saw as a lack of support as rival Azerbaijan retook the ethnic-Armenian populated breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh this year. Pashinian was speaking in St. Petersburg, where he attended a council meeting of the EAES, which also includes Kazakhstan, Belarus, and Kyrgyzstan. To read the original story by RFE/RL’s Armenian Service, click here.