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Spanish Member of Parliament Jon Iñarritu has called on the EU to support Armenia’s latest integration move which he described as a ‘bold step’.
Earlier in February, the Armenian parliament adopted the bill on EU accession at first reading.
“I think Armenia’s place has always been in Europe, be it cultural or historical ties,” Iñarritu told Armenpress. “The EU must support Armenia to restore its worthy place in the European family.”
He emphasized the growing role of the civil society in terms of the EU bill having been initiated through a petition by civic organizations.
“The EU must support this bold step and ensure that Armenia doesn’t withstand the challenges alone because it is one of the few democracies in the region,” the Spanish legislator said.
“If the legislation advances then Armenia must take necessary steps to comply with EU standards and values,” he added, emphasizing that the path towards joining the EU requires significant reforms.
Iñarritu also spoke about Armenia’s ties with Russia and the latter’s possible reaction to the adoption of the bill.
“It’s important to remember that most probably Russia will start a major campaign to block the close ties between Armenia and the EU, like in the past, when Armenia was being pressured to join the Eurasian Economic Union, leaving the country with few options,” he said.
The EU bill was initiated by several civic organizations through a petition which garnered enough votes to be considered as a bill. It calls on the Armenian authorities to launch the process of EU accession.
The bill was previously endorsed by the Cabinet.
