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Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that the Armenian government unequivocally wants Armenia to become a fully fledged EU member state.
He added that the government is now working to make Armenia a country compliant with EU standards.
Pashinyan made the remarks at the AIISA Security Forum titled Armenia and Peace: At the Intersection of Risks and Opportunities.
He emphasized the importance of the EU bill adopted last year by parliament, which launched Armenia’s EU membership process. He highlighted the Armenian government’s position:
“Do we want to become a full member of the European Union? Yes, unequivocally and without question. How do we envision this? We are fully aware that, as past experience has shown, no country is admitted to the EU based on geopolitical or other convenience. Therefore, there is a very significant and important precondition—the country must objectively meet EU standards, at least 97, 98, 99 percent. Our strategy is as follows: we must proceed in a very firm and clear manner along the path of transforming Armenia into a country that meets EU standards.”
He added that once this is achieved, the moment for a political decision will come.
According to the Prime Minister, the EU may decide not to expand further, but the opposite could also happen. “When we meet the standards, we have two options: either we are accepted as an EU member, or we are not,” he said.
Pashinyan added that in either case, Armenia benefits: in one scenario, it becomes a full EU member; in the other, it may not join, but it still becomes a modern state aligned with European standards.
“The next nuance is that we are fully aware that we cannot simultaneously be a member of the EU and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). But now another reality is emerging: there is, in fact, space to follow this path while remaining an EAEU member. And today, we are within that space. We are clearly stating that we are proceeding along this path. We are an EAEU member, which means there is no incompatibility at this point. Therefore, for as long as compatibility is possible, we will continue to remain an EAEU member. When incompatibility becomes inevitable, we will make a decision together with the citizens of Armenia, based on the free expression of the will of the people of the Republic of Armenia,” he said.