Armenia formally applying to join the EU in 2027 or 2028 is “realistic”, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan told the Euronews EU Enlargement Summit, adding that his government intends to let Armenians choose their own path, Euronews reports.
“Next year we can be realistic. 2028 can be realistic,” he said. “We started the process which will bring us to the final decision to submit application for formal membership of European Union.”
In August, Pashinyan announced before the national parliament that his government intends to apply for EU membership “in the near future”. The move would pull the South Caucasus country out of Russia’s orbit and towards Brussels.
Yerevan has yet to submit a formal application. It is in a visa liberalisation dialogue with the European Commission, aiming to complete the process by 2029.
For Pashinyan, EU membership is a strategic choice to protect Armenia’s democracy after the 2018 revolution that ousted pro-Russian politicians from power.
“For our people, democracy isn’t a matter of circumstances. It is a strategic choice,” he said. “The European Union was one of the main partners of the Republic of Armenia in the democratic reform agenda implementation.”
“Our first intention is to create an alternative for the people of Armenia and for the Republic of Armenia, because, traditionally, the perception of our society and maybe our neighbourhood was that Armenia has no alternative,” Pashinyan said.
Russia has threatened retaliation, most notably by cutting off Armenia’s energy supply. Pashinyan said his government aims to diversify its political and economic relations.
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