Deputy Foreign Minister on the Process of Accession to the EU

The Armenian government is proposing to vote in favor of the draft law on ‘The Start of the Process of the Republic of Armenia’s Accession to the European Union.’ This was stated by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia, Paruyr Hovhannisyan, during the discussion of the draft law in the National Assembly.

He emphasized that the adoption of the law itself does not constitute an application for Armenia’s membership in the European Union. According to him, it enshrines the deepening of relations with the European Union, the elevation of Armenia's approaches to a new level, and the aspirations of Armenian citizens.

“The draft law on the start of the process of Armenia’s accession to the European Union also corresponds to the balanced and balancing foreign policy conducted by the Republic of Armenia, which aims at diversifying economic and security cooperation. In this context, one should also consider the unprecedented dynamics of cooperation between Armenia and the European Union and its member states in recent years, which has expressed itself in almost all areas of cooperation,” emphasized Hovhannisyan.

The Deputy Minister highlighted several of the most significant achievements in Armenia-EU relations in recent years.

“In September 2024, the dialogue has begun regarding the liberalization of visas with the European Union. Currently, technical negotiations are underway between the parties. At present, the document titled ‘Armenia-EU Partnership: New Agenda’ is under negotiation, which will complement and deepen the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement signed between Armenia and the European Union with new directions of cooperation. Essentially, the aforementioned two documents will serve as the legal and political foundation for Armenia-EU partnership,” said Hovhannisyan.

According to him, Armenia greatly values the effective implementation of the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement with the EU and cooperates with the European Union in this direction.

“Armenia has been included within the framework of the European Peace Facility, which was an important political decision made by the EU. Since 2022, the European Union’s civilian monitoring mission has been stationed in Armenia, which has repeatedly proven to be one of the pillars of stability in the region. Recently, the EU Council decided to extend the monitoring mission's activities for two more years. The European Union continues to be the largest donor in Armenia's development cooperation, a main supporter of the ongoing reforms.

Within the framework of the ‘Resilience and Growth’ program, support has been established for Armenia for the next four years, and Armenia is the only country that is not an EU candidate but receives support under this program. The European Union continues to be Armenia's primary partner in supporting the development of institutions based on shared values.

The reforms implemented with the assistance of the European Union are aimed at strengthening human rights and the rule of law, good governance, and fighting corruption,” highlighted Hovhannisyan.