Marukyan on Joining the EU

The leader of the Bright Armenia party, Edmond Marukyan, wrote:

“At what point did the wishes of 50,000 deceived citizens become the will of the people of the Republic of Armenia? Today, the National Assembly is discussing the initiation of Armenia's process of joining the European Union. The draft law states: ‘The Republic of Armenia, expressing the will of the people of the Republic of Armenia, aims to make the Republic of Armenia a safe, secure, developed, and prosperous country.’ At what point did the wishes of 50,000 deceived citizens become the will of the people of the Republic of Armenia? I reiterate—this process is not about placing the responsibility of joining the EU on 50,000 citizens, but rather placing the burden of a risky venture with serious consequences, because both in the EU and in our government, everyone knows that this process is not about absolute Euro-integration. If our authorities are so attuned to the demands of our citizens, then they should put this issue to a referendum as soon as possible. A nationwide referendum will determine whether to choose a path leading to a new war or to reject it in favor of peace. We demand a referendum.”