Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has confirmed that Armenia indeed aspires to become a member of the European Union, underlining the complexity of the process.
“We’ve been asked whether the recently adopted law means Armenia wants to join the European Union. My answer has been yes—Armenia wants to become an EU member,” Pashinyan said during a press conference, according to Panorama.am .
He emphasized that both the Armenian authorities and European partners recognize that EU accession is a difficult and demanding process, requiring countries to fully align with EU standards.
Pashinyan also pointed to the increasing queues at European embassies in Armenia, attributing them to growing public interest in Europe and increased mobility toward the EU.
On March 26, Armenia’s National Assembly approved in the second and final reading a draft law initiating the EU accession process. The government had endorsed the proposal on January 9, which originated from the civil initiative Eurovote. However, the EU has not yet issued an official invitation to Armenia. Opposition forces have criticized the law as legally nonsensical. The President of Armenia has signed it into law.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk also stated that Armenia “cannot sit on two chairs” and will have to choose between the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and the EU.
