Armenia to Initiate EU Membership Application Process Soon, Prime Minister Pashinyan States
According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency,
Armenia is set to soon embark on the process of applying for membership in the European Union, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced. Speaking before the parliament while presenting the government’s program for 2026-2031, Pashinyan indicated that a referendum on the matter would be logical once discussions reach a critical juncture, allowing for the initiation of a roadmap preparation.
Pashinyan further elaborated that to address these questions, Armenia must first submit a formal application for EU membership. He described this as an extensive process, which the country will initiate in the near future, at least in response to requests from their partners within the Eurasian Economic Union.
The parliamentary move towards EU accession was marked on March 26, 2025, when the Armenian Parliament passed legislation to begin the country’s integration into the European Union. Russian President Vladimir Putin previously commented that integration into the EU would automatically signal the end of Armenia’s cooperation with the Eurasian Economic Union and the forfeiture of all associated preferences. At the Eurasian Economic Union summit in Astana on May 29, leaders from Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan adopted a joint statement reflecting a shared view on holding a nationwide referendum in Armenia regarding joining the EU or remaining within the Eurasian Economic Union.
Further underscoring the timeline, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin told the TASS news agency on August 11 that Armenia needs to decide by December 2026, when potential next steps concerning Yerevan will be discussed at a summit of Eurasian Economic Union heads of state, whether to hold a nationwide referendum on joining the EU or maintaining its membership in the Eurasian Economic Union.
