Armenia has a long history of relations with the European Union. In 2016 Armenia and the European Union signed the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement. It essentially concerns the rapprochement of our systems and the introduction of standards. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said this in an interview with Radio France International, answering the question of whether Armenia aims to join the EU.
“After 2018 we continued to bring relations with the European Union closer. In 2025 a law was even adopted on starting the process of Armenia’s accession to the European Union. That law was adopted by citizens’ initiative,” the prime minister noted.
“One of the options is for the Republic of Armenia to become a member of the European Union. Why do I say one of the options. Because the European Union still has to make a decision on its enlargement policy. Only the wish of the country to join or of the state discussing the issue is not enough.
Today too there are different opinions within the European Union on whether it should enlarge or not. Therefore the answer to this question also depends on that,” he said.
However, in Pashinyan’s words, the strategic goal of the Republic of Armenia and the Armenian people is to create alternatives.
“We have long lived in an environment and conditions where the Republic of Armenia and its people, including in foreign relations, have not had broad alternatives. Our task is to create those alternatives.
Ultimately, any decision is made in a specific environment and conditions. Our goal of forming alternatives is one: the people of Armenia must be able to decide whether the country remains a member of the Eurasian Economic Union, becomes a member of the European Union, or is a member of neither the EU nor the EAEU.
At the same time, in any case we will continue to reform the Republic of Armenia, bringing it into line with the standards of the European Union. If at any moment Armenia is fully and objectively ready to become an EU member, in that case the issue will again depend on two main questions: will the European Union want to admit us, and will the people of Armenia vote in favour of that option?
Even if Armenia is objectively ready but does not become a member of the European Union, still the country will have gained. In that case we will have a state that fully meets the standards of the European Union,” Nikol Pashinyan noted.
