Armenia to start EU bid soon, says PM Pashinyan

Turkey, Armenia's archrival, has been seeking EU membership for nearly 40 years.(AFP) — Armenia will soon begin preparations for a bid to join the European Union, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan told parliament Monday, amid warnings from Moscow against pursuing deeper European integration.Armenia is formally allied with Moscow but has been building ties with the European Union for years, amid frustration over Russia’s perceived failure to protect it during conflicts with neighboring Azerbaijan.Russia, which has a military base in Armenia, still wields substantial influence over the small Caucasus country and counts it as a member of the Eurasian Economic Union.“Armenia must first submit an official application for EU membership,” Pashinyan told lawmakers.“We may begin this process in the near future, especially given the urgent requests from our EAEU partners,” he said.Once the bid is submitted, Armenia would hold a referendum on membership, he added.Russia has repeatedly called for such a vote, and the Kremlin has consistently warned that membership in both Western and Russian blocs is incompatible.Asked Monday about the former Soviet republic’s EU aspirations, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the trade, sanitary and customs rules of the two blocs did not align.“I always recommend here that we keep in mind the experience of Turkey and a number of other countries, whose applications were submitted decades and decades ago, yet they’re still in the same situation today,” Peskov said.Turkey, Armenia’s archrival, has been seeking EU membership for nearly 40 years.Pashinyan, who rose to power through street protests in 2018, was reelected in June after hosting EU leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for a summit.Moscow has stepped up pressure on Yerevan over its rapprochement with Brussels by imposing import curbs. In a warning to Armenia, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in June that the “Ukrainian scenario” began with Kyiv’s EU ambitions.Subscribe to our free newslettersOur weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.Additional Reads