Lukashenko and Pashinyan engaged in a heated exchange during the EEU summit—watch the video.

At the summit of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), a remote dialogue took place between Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. The incident, which surfaced on social media, generated significant public response.

Alexander Lukashenko urged the organization's observers to share their assessments of collaboration in person rather than through “television broadcasts.” Notably, the only participant who joined the summit via video link was Nikol Pashinyan.

The Belarusian leader publicly inquired about the reason for the Armenian Prime Minister's absence: “What was the reason for your remote participation? Was it the long distance to Minsk, or were there difficulties in organizing the trip? We are ready to assist in transporting your delegation, if necessary.”

In response, Nikol Pashinyan stated that he had already made an official comment on the matter. To this, Alexander Lukashenko replied, “We will review your statement.” The Armenian Prime Minister countered, “My statement does not require consideration.”

It is worth noting that in the summer of 2024, Nikol Pashinyan publicly expressed his unwillingness to visit Belarus while Alexander Lukashenko is in power. Relations between the two countries have noticeably cooled in recent years, partly due to the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh. It should be mentioned that Uzbekistan has held observer status in the EAEU since 2020.