Armenia May Apply for EU Membership in November or Next Year

Armenia will apply to join the European Union as early as November or next year, Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan announced, TASS writes.

"I can't say exactly when we'll submit the application. It could be next month or maybe next year. It depends on many factors," Mirzoyan said.

He noted that, without waiting for the EU to submit the application or respond, Yerevan and Brussels have begun working on bilateral relations. The Armenian Foreign Minister announced that work on a new partnership program has already been completed and will be signed "within the next three months at the latest." He also described a one- to two-year period for completing visa facilitation for Armenian citizens entering EU countries as "quite realistic."

Mirzoyan added that Yerevan and Brussels are negotiating several new documents. The Armenian Foreign Minister also called Russia one of the "main partners when it comes to economic and trade matters" between the two countries.

On March 26, members of the Armenian parliament adopted a bill during the second and final reading to initiate the country's accession to the European Union. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan noted that this would not automatically initiate Yerevan's accession process, as the issue requires a referendum. Foreign Minister Mirzoyan, for his part, explained that the bill was a public initiative that had garnered the required number of signatures.

As Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk stated, Russia views these actions as the beginning of Armenia's withdrawal from the Eurasian Economic Union. He stated that EU accession is incompatible with the country's membership in the EAEU.