Armenia Is Preparing an Application to Join the EU — Pashinyan
On August 24, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced that Armenia will soon begin the process of applying for EU membership. A referendum on accession is planned to be held after Brussels responds and a roadmap is agreed upon.
According to the head of the Armenian government, the process of European integration requires extensive preparatory work, so preparations for a nationwide referendum will begin only after several mandatory procedural steps have been completed.
The prime minister emphasized that the referendum on EU accession will take place only after a clear sequence of steps has been followed. First, Yerevan will officially submit an application, after which it will receive a response and assessment from Brussels, followed by the agreement on a joint roadmap.
However, the prime minister did not specify any specific deadlines for submitting the official documents at this time.
Pashinyan emphasized that the decision to move toward the European Union is being made with due consideration of the foreign policy context and in consultation with partners in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).
“To hold a referendum, Armenia must submit an official application for EU membership. This is a process that requires extensive work. And in the near future, we will begin this process, paying particular attention to the calls of our EAEU partners,” he said.
It is worth noting that in recent years, Yerevan has been consistently deepening its cooperation with the European Union amid a freeze in relations with the CSTO.
During his speech in parliament, Pashinyan emphasized that Armenia has no intention of returning to the CSTO in the next five years. He also added that he would be “very pleased” if the CSTO decided to expel the country from the bloc.
As a reminder, Pashinyan is recalling Armenia’s ambassador to Russia amid deteriorating relations.
Armenia has sharply increased its exports to the EU amid trade restrictions imposed by Russia.
Putin replaced Russian commanders in Ukraine after plans to seize the Donbas fell through.
As a reminder, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law imposing strict restrictions on citizens abroad who have been convicted in absentia under political articles of the Russian Criminal or Administrative Codes, specifically for “discrediting” the army, calling for sanctions, or participating in “undesirable organizations.”
