Domestic Politics

The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved the bipartisan Megobari Act, which supports the aspirations of the people of Georgia for integration into Euro-Atlantic structures and imposes sanctions on officials of the governing party Georgian Dream and its allies undermining this path. Following this approval, the bill has been sent to other committees in the US Senate for review.

Accession to the EU is incompatible with Armenia’s continued membership in the Eurasian Economic Union, a Russian-led trade bloc that gives it tariff-free access to Russia’s vast market, according to Russian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksei Overchuk. Armenia would also have to pay much more for Russian energy resources and food, Overchuk said. Last week, the Armenian Parliament adopted a bill calling for the government to seek accession to the EU, representing a significant shift in Armenia’s foreign policy perspective away from its long-time ally Russia.