Putin emphasized the importance of using national currencies at the Eurasian Economic Union summit

Russian President Vladimir Putin participated in a press conference following the summit of the Eurasian Economic Union held in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, on May 29, as reported by Zamin.uz.

The Kremlin leader emphasized cooperation within the organization, the use of national currencies, and key ideas regarding Armenia's foreign policy course. As Putin stressed, deepening relations with the member states of the Eurasian Economic Union remains one of Russia's priority tasks.

According to the president, a common market for goods, services, capital, and labor resources has been formed among the union's member states. It was noted that last year, the volume of trade in goods between member states reached $95 billion.

Furthermore, Vladimir Putin specifically highlighted that nearly all settlements are now being conducted in national currencies. In his view, the aspiration of member states to achieve self-sufficiency in food security is also an economically significant trend.

At the press conference, the state leader also addressed the Armenian issue at length. He stated that Russia and Armenia have special relations, and even if Yerevan moves closer to the West, this will not completely sever these bilateral ties.

However, Putin stressed that within the Eurasian Economic Union, not only politics but also economic interests are paramount. He warned that if Armenia begins to align with the standards of the European Union, issues of Russia's integration with the union could be revisited.

As a result, Armenian products, including wine exports, railway tariffs, energy prices, and the status of Armenian citizens working in Russia, could be affected. At the same time, Putin linked the situation in Ukraine to Kyiv's efforts to move closer to the West and urged Armenia to hold a referendum on membership as soon as possible.

It should be recalled that Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan did not participate in this summit. In summary, Putin regards cooperation within the Eurasian Economic Union as an important direction for Russia and sent a clear signal to Armenia's leadership that political choices have economic consequences.