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Armenia has not officially been invited to join the Union State between Russia and Belarus, but “everything isn’t as simple as it seems”, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan told a press conference on Tuesday.

"There has been no official invitation and there couldn't have been either. But everything isn’t as simple as it seems. Sometimes you have to look deeper into the subtext of issues. We have to consider the global processes," Pashinyan said.

He reaffirmed his government’s commitment to defend Armenia’s sovereignty, independence and statehood as “absolute values”.

“We consider it our duty and mission to do everything we can to ensure the longevity of our homeland and statehood,” he added.

In an interview to the Public TV Company in late December, Security Council Secretary Armen Grigoryan said Armenia “is under strong pressure” to join the union state.

Asked whether pressure has been exerted on Armenia to join the union through “unofficial channels”, Pashinyan said: “It depends on what you mean by saying unofficial channels. For example, one can consider the narratives promoted by experts to be an unofficial channel, unofficial contacts too.”

He said the Armenian security chief most likely referred to them in his statement.