On February 10, the Armenian Parliament announced that it would include a bill on starting the process of joining the European Union (EU) in its agenda for the session taking place from February 11-14.
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| Armenia is pushing ahead with its EU accession process. (Source: Caliber) |
Earlier, the Armenian government supported the legislative initiative of pro-Western forces to launch the EU accession process. On January 24, the Armenian Parliament's European Integration Committee gave a positive conclusion to the initiative and included the bill on the agenda of the plenary session.
The move comes after a petition launched by political parties gathered 60,000 signatures in support of Armenia's EU membership, according to Caliber news network.
Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan stressed that the move reflects “the will of the Armenian people” and is in line with the Caucasus nation’s aspirations for deeper integration into Europe.
Russia - an important ally of Yerevan in the region as well as in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) of which Armenia remains a member - has reacted to the increased ties between Yerevan and the EU.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called for "clarification" of Armenia's intentions, questioning how Yerevan intends to balance its commitment to the EAEU with its European ambitions.
Meanwhile, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk issued a stern warning, stating that “pursuing EU membership could signal Armenia’s exit from the EAEU.” He compared the decision to “buying a ticket on the Titanic,” arguing that Yerevan could face economic and geopolitical risks by pursuing closer ties with the EU.
Armenia’s aspirations for EU membership have increased in recent months. In September 2024, during a visit to Yerevan by European Commission Vice President Margaritis Schinas, Armenia and the EU formally launched visa liberalization talks. Schinas hailed the move as “a historic step” in deepening EU-Armenia relations.
The European Parliament has also shown strong support for expanding EU-Armenia relations. In March last year, parliamentarians adopted a resolution urging the EU to begin visa liberalization talks with Yerevan, saying: “The EU should seize this geopolitical shift and help Armenia gain a firmer foothold in the community of democracies.”
The resolution also calls on the European Commission and EU Member States to “develop a roadmap to take relations with Armenia to a new level”.
Source: https://baoquocte.vn/quoc-gia-kavkaz-tung-than-nga-bat-dau-xem-xet-du-luat-khoi-dong-gia-nhap-eu-303871.html
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