Armenia Discusses Realistic Timeline for EU Membership, Says Pashinyan

In March of this year, the National Assembly of Armenia adopted a law on "Starting the Process of Armenia's Membership in the European Union." Many are asking when Armenia will become a member of the EU and how realistic this goal is. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan made this statement.

He emphasized that the law on starting the EU membership process is primarily a catalyst for systematically implementing democratic reforms. “Our goal is to institutionally and substantively conform to EU standards, as EU membership is impossible without such conformity. When Armenia objectively meets these European standards, two paths will open before us: either we will be accepted as an EU member state or not. Of course, our preferred scenario is the first one. Even if membership does not occur, we will have reached an important milestone, with Armenia being a country that meets the most advanced contemporary standards.”

Pashinyan further noted that Armenia’s aspiration to meet EU standards is not driven by geopolitical considerations but rather by a democratic choice. Since the peaceful, non-violent Velvet Revolution of 2018, Armenia has been committed to democracy, the rule of law, human rights, and an independent judiciary as a strategic priority.

Just a week ago, Armenia and the European Union adopted the "Armenia-EU Partnership Strategic Agenda," which supplements the already existing Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA). It outlines our short-term and long-term cooperation goals, becoming a unique roadmap for deeper alignment and integration of Armenia across various sectors.

“We are currently exploring sectoral integration opportunities in digital and telecommunications, energy, and connectivity,” concluded Pashinyan.