The Armenian government approved a draft law on the start of the EU accession process

The Cabinet of Ministers of Armenia approved a draft law on the beginning of the process of the countryʼs accession to the European Union on January 9. The document will now be sent to parliament.

This is reported by the media outlet News.am.

The corresponding citizensʼ initiative has collected 50 thousand signatures. The countryʼs Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated that the decision on Armeniaʼs accession to the bloc can be made only through a national referendum. In the meantime, it is necessary to discuss and develop a joint "road map" with the EU.

"In recent years, relations between Armenia and the EU have been quite dynamic. They have covered various sectors. It is obvious that the European Union has very rich democratic traditions, a free competitive environment, and a modern economy," says the countryʼs Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan.

He added that the European Union has repeatedly expressed support for Armenian democracy. Mirzoyan also recalled the deployment of the EU civilian monitoring mission on the territory of the country.

Steps of rapprochement between Yerevan and Brussels include, in particular, the visa liberalization process and Armeniaʼs involvement in the "European Peace Facility".

Armeniaʼs pro-European course

Pashinyan has sought to distance himself from Moscow and its influence. In September, he accused the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), which is effectively controlled by Russia, of threatening the countryʼs sovereignty, and Armeniaʼs Investigative Committee reported an attempted coup in the country, the preparations for which were being carried out in Russia.

Pashinyan previously said that the CSTO failed to fulfill its obligations to Yerevan during the Nagorno-Karabakh war, which resulted in Azerbaijan regaining its territories. Because of this, in June, Pashinyan announced his intention to withdraw from the CSTO.

Armeniaʼs plans to apply for EU membership became known in March 2024. The country has pro-European aspirations, so it is strengthening relations with Western countries, in particular with the United States.

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