Armenia is preparing for a historic step: Pashinyan speaks about an application to join the EU
Kyiv • UNN
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that Armenia may begin submitting an application to join the EU in the near future. The country does not yet have candidate status.
Armenia may officially begin submitting an application for membership in the European Union in the near future. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said this during a session of the country's parliament, UNN reports.
Details
According to Pashinyan, for Armenia to make further progress on its path to the EU, it is necessary to move to the formal stage and submit an application for membership.
In the near future, we may begin this process
At the same time, Pashinyan emphasized that preparing the relevant application would require considerable work. As of now, Armenia has not officially applied for membership in the European Union and does not have candidate-country status.
The country's prime minister also confirmed that a nationwide referendum on joining the EU should be held in Armenia in the future. At the same time, no specific date for it has yet been set.
Pashinyan explained that it would be appropriate to hold the vote after Armenia submits its application, receives a response from Brussels, and has a clearer understanding of the prospects for obtaining candidate status and the subsequent roadmap.
Context
In March 2025, the Armenian parliament adopted the law "On the Launch of the Process of the Republic of Armenia's Accession to the European Union." Sixty-four lawmakers voted in favor of the document, while seven opposed it. In April, the country's president, Vahagn Khachaturyan, signed the law. The law itself, however, did not constitute an official application to join the EU, but merely formalized the country's political course toward European integration.
In May 2026, the first Armenia-EU summit was held. Following the summit, the European Union stated that it supported the Armenian people's European aspirations and the country's further rapprochement with European norms and standards.
At the same time, Pashinyan had previously acknowledged that Armenia's simultaneous full membership in the European Union and the Eurasian Economic Union was impossible. Yerevan remains a member of the EAEU for now, although Armenia's relations with Russian integration structures have noticeably deteriorated in recent years.
We would like to remind you
The elections in Armenia demonstrated the Kremlin's further loss of influence.