Armenia EU accession to take years and efforts, says MEP

Member of the European Parliament Nils Ušakovs on Tuesday commented on the prospect of Armenia’s possible accession to the EU. 

Speaking at a press conference after the 4th Meeting of EU-Armenia Parliamentary Partnership Committee in Yerevan, Ušakovs, who serves as the co-chair of the committee, said that the process will require time and reforms.

“It is clear that Armenia will not join the EU neither in this yearend nor the next. That process takes time and certain efforts. However, any reform that Armenia would do on the path of joining the EU would make Armenia stronger, and as a result the country will be in a position where it wants to see itself,” he said.

The MEP said that the reforms will strengthen the country and enable it to make more confident decisions regarding the future.

If any politician vows that Armenia can join the EU in just a few years then it can be considered an exaggerated expectation, he stressed. “That process takes years, like it was in the cases of Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia and Czechia. My country, Latvia, joined the EU after years of efforts, and the same goes for Armenia. The realistic timeframes could be five, seven or ten years,” he said.

The necessary reforms are not a ‘wish-list’ of the EU, but rather changes that are important for any society, the MEP said.

“Strengthening of the rule of law, increasing the level of welfare and systemic reforms are of vital importance for Armenia regardless of which alliance the country will chose to cooperate with in the future,” he said.

The MEP said the Armenian society must be presented with realistic expectations in order not to have disappointment in the future and if the Armenian people choose the path of joining the EU then Armenia will be able to successfully complete the process.

The Armenian parliament adopted the bill on EU accession at first reading earlier in February.