Armenia-EU relations at highest point in their history – Pashinyan

Relations between Armenia and the European Union are at the highest point in their history, while the Armenian Government is working to create a realistic alternative for the people of Armenia, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said during the National Assembly-Government question-and-answer session.

Harutyun Harutyunyan, an MP from the Strong Armenia faction, asked the Prime Minister whether the Government he leads is genuinely moving towards the European Union or merely trying to create such an impression.

According to Pashinyan, a decision on EU membership cannot be made solely by the Government, Parliament or the parliamentary majority.

“Such decisions are made by the people and with the participation of the people. Our task at this stage is to create an alternative for the people of Armenia. When the alternative has realistically taken shape, that is, when developments move in that direction, the time will also come for the people to express their position. We have spoken about this many times,” the Prime Minister said.

He stressed that a number of processes are already under way between Armenia and the European Union.

“It is already an established political reality that relations between Armenia and the European Union are at the highest point in the history of those relations. Processes are already under way, including the visa liberalisation process. Yesterday, the European Parliament also adopted a decision establishing a preferential customs regime for imports of goods from Armenia,” Pashinyan said.

The Prime Minister stressed that the Government has adopted the relevant law and continues to advance the process of creating an alternative.

“We are creating an alternative. We have adopted a law and are creating an alternative. We are moving this process forward with the aim of creating an alternative for the people of Armenia. Some may agree with our reasoning, while others may disagree. We do not dispute anyone’s right to disagree. This is our political position, and as long as the people of the Republic of Armenia have given us this mandate, we will continue to move this process forward,” he said.

Pashinyan added that there may be different assessments of the pace of the Government’s actions.

“Some may consider this a normal pace and these to be normal steps, while others may disagree. That is also normal. This is our understanding, this is our pace and speed, and our understanding of the right speed,” the Prime Minister said.

Responding to the question of whether there would be any retreat from the process of European integration and EU membership, Pashinyan reiterated that the Government is creating an alternative. According to him, there is currently no sufficiently formed question to put to a referendum.

“Why are we not holding a referendum today? Because there is currently no subject for a referendum. We must create the alternative and refer the question to the people for a decision. When that point comes, those who support that option will call on the people to vote for it, while those who do not support it will make the opposite appeal. The issue will then be decided by the results of the vote. The question must take shape and mature. Our task is to bring that question to maturity,” Pashinyan concluded.