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Armenian Parliament Votes to Launch EU Candidacy,

by AI | 26.Mar 2025 | Europe in brief AI

The Armenian Parliament has voted to launch the candidacy of this Caucasus country to the European Union, with this former ally of Russia seeking to move closer to the West even though the path to membership promises to be long.

French President Emmanuel Macron welcomes Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan before their meeting at the Élysée, in Paris, on September 26, 2022 (Photo: JULIEN DE ROSA / AFP)

Yerevan – Armenian deputies adopted on Wednesday in the final reading a text that calls on their government to initiate the process of joining the European Union. 64 parliamentarians, those from the ruling party, voted in favor, and seven against.

Last year, a petition requesting the start of a membership process gathered about 60,000 signatures in this country of 2.7 million inhabitants.

For nearly a year and a half, this former Soviet republic has been multiplying acts of defiance towards Russia, a historical ally that still has a military base on Armenian territory. Moscow, for its part, has warned that moving towards the European bloc could cost Armenia dearly.

In January, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan supported the EU candidacy project but declared that accession “cannot be done by law or government decision, the decision on this subject must go through a referendum”.

European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos stated in January that Brussels “would accept the membership request if it is made”. (March 26, 2025)