EU bill not a membership bid, says Deputy FM

The EU bill is not a membership bid, the Armenian deputy foreign minister Paruyr Hovhannisyan said on Monday ahead of the second reading in parliament

On February 12, the EU bill passed with 63 votes in favor and 7 against at first reading in parliament. 

It 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. 

“This bill doesn’t constitute an EU membership bid. This bill is in line with our direction of being closer to the EU,” the deputy FM said at a parliamentary committee hearing.

He said the foreign ministry doesn’t see a context of geopolitical changes in this regard.

But opposition MP Armen Gevorgyan from the Hayastan faction was surprised by the comments, saying “So it turns out we are adopting a bill but not seeking membership? Then why are we even adopting that bill?”

Hovhannisyan responded, “We are launching a membership process but it doesn’t mean that we are submitting a membership bid.”

MP Arman Yeghoyan, the Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on EU Integration Affairs, also commented on the question. “Because when the process starts, at some phase it will imply also presenting a membership bid. Not now, perhaps a year later. But the bill is about the membership itself, which must be preceded by the membership bid. As to when, that would depend on actions preceding it,” he said. The Deputy FM agreed with the MP.