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Political technologist Armen Badalyan has dismissed the claims that Armenia independently decided to ask Russia to hold the upcoming meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council in St. Petersburg instead of Yerevan.

“It’s a big question whether Armenia really made such a request. Internally, they told Armenia to do so,” Badalyan told Panorama.am on Wednesday.

Earlier, Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov said St. Petersburg would host a meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council on December 25.

“At Armenia’s request, the meeting will be organized on Russian territory, although Armenian Prime Minister Pashinyan will chair the meeting,” he announced.

Badalyan said the decision to hold the EAEU meeting in Russia could be influenced by the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“Putin may attend the meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council. Of course, Armenia cannot arrest the Russian president, it is just that the latter does not want any problems. Earlier, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced that he would not go to Belarus, so the Belarusian president would not come to Armenia. And if the two EAEU countries – Belarus and Russia – have no desire to come to Armenia, they will want to tell Armenia to make such a request,” the expert remarked.