Armenia to launch EU accession bid in 'near future,' PM says, further distancing from Russia
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Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan told parliament on Aug. 24 that Yerevan will soon launch its bid to join the European Union, as the country seeks to further distance itself from Russia.
"We may begin this process in the near future, especially given the urgent requests from our EAEU partners," Pashinyan told Armenia's National Assembly, adding that the country would hold a referendum on its potential accession once the EU process begins.
In April 2025, Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan signed a law to formally begin Armenia's accession process to the European Union. While the law gave no timeline for accession, its symbolic passage marked the "aspirations of citizens."
Pashinyan's government has increasingly pulled Yerevan away from Russia, its traditional ally, and sought closer ties with the West. While Russia has a longstanding military and economic partnership with Armenia, the strained relationship has deteriorated since Moscow failed to protect Armenia from Azerbaijan during the Nagorno-Karabakh crisis in 2024.
The Kremlin has not taken kindly to this distancing, with Putin threatening a "Ukrainian scenario" for Armenia if it continues building ties with the EU. Russia has already pulled its ambassador from Yerevan and threatened to cancel a 2013 agreement guaranteeing duty-free exports of natural gas and petroleum products to Armenia.
In recent years, Yerevan has turned West for new partnerships, including signing strategic partnership declarations with the U.K. and France.
Earlier this month, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that ties with Armenia are "becoming even more constructive" following a discussion on area for further cooperation between the two countries.
Despite Moscow having been accused of meddling in the Armenian election, Pashinyan's Civil Contract Party won the June parliamentary election, defeating various pro-Russian forces.
