Tensions Flare at Eurasian Economic Union Meeting

A meeting of the Eurasian Economic Union saw tensions rise when Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko engaged in a heated exchange. Pashinyan, attending via video, declined Lukashenko's invitation to visit Belarus, citing his decision to freeze high-level visits due to Lukashenko's support for Armenia's rival, Azerbaijan.

Tensions erupted at the Eurasian Economic Union meeting on Thursday when Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko clashed during a live broadcast. The discord unfolded in the presence of Russian President Vladimir Putin and other member state leaders.

Initially scheduled as a tightly-scripted session, the meeting veered off course after Lukashenko pressed Pashinyan, who attended via video call, to visit Belarus for the union's next meeting. Pashinyan, citing his earlier decision to freeze visits over Belarus's support for Azerbaijan, declined.

The altercation underscored ongoing tensions within the Eurasian Economic Union, which was created a decade ago to strengthen economic ties but has faced challenges from internal disputes among members such as Armenia and Belarus.

(With inputs from agencies.)