Being small in a large club: unpacking Armenia’s actorness in the Eurasian Economic Union

This article examines Armenia’s agency in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). It argues that, despite being the smallest member and facing huge power asymmetry inside the organization, Armenia has been able to influence the decision-making in the EAEU in numerous ways. The research will examine three different strategies Armenia used to protect its interests: a) instrumentalizing the opportunities emanating from the institutional settings of the organization, b) negotiating exemptions from the EAEU legislation and securing core interests in the external relations of the union, and c) promoting specific ideas with the purpose of tailoring EAEU’s policy in a particular field to its economic needs.