EU Ambassador to Armenia Vassilis Maragos, asked about the possibility of Armenia joining the European Union in the coming years, said the accession procedures are clear: there must be criteria, consensus among EU members, and an application from the candidate country, NEWS.am reported.
“In Armenia’s case, this has not happened. So if that moment comes, we must follow the rules,” Maragos said.
Commenting on the potential for final settlement of Armenia-Azerbaijan relations, he noted: “First of all, we welcomed the agreements reached in Washington, including the initialing of the peace treaty. This is a very good basis to move forward. I hope the peace agreement can also be signed soon. We are ready to work to support peace in the region. Ultimately, it depends on the peoples of the region, but we are here to assist.”
Asked whether Azerbaijan might undermine peace through aggressive actions, Maragos responded: “I am the EU’s representative in Armenia. We all believe and hope that all partners will fulfill their commitments.”
On March 26, Armenia’s National Assembly approved in second and final reading a bill to launch the EU accession process. The government had endorsed the initiative on January 9, submitted by the “Eurovote” civic movement. However, the EU has not yet extended an official invitation, while opposition parties labeled the bill legally absurd. The President signed it into law.
