Armenia places significant importance on fully implementing the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with the European Union, Deputy Foreign Minister Paruyr Hovhannisyan stated during a parliamentary committee hearing on the proposed bill to launch Armenia’s EU integration process.

Hovhannisyan emphasized that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs fully endorses the bill, which aligns with Armenia’s growing partnership with the EU and reflects the European aspirations of the Armenian people. “The political will to be closer to the EU was expressed in the Armenian Prime Minister’s speech in the European Parliament, which is also in line with the commitment to develop relations with the EU and its member states recorded in the government’s 2021–2026 program,” he noted.

The Deputy FM highlighted Armenia’s active steps toward implementing CEPA and revising its roadmap to ensure compliance with the obligations outlined in the agreement. He also pointed to the unprecedented pace of Armenia-EU relations, which now encompass security, defense, and other areas of collaboration.

Discussions on a new partnership agenda between Armenia and the EU are underway, which will expand cooperation in areas such as democracy, human rights, good governance, economic and trade ties, and people-to-people contacts. Hovhannisyan described this agenda as a framework for deepening institutional and sectoral partnerships under CEPA.

"The institutional circle, intensity, and unprecedented pace of development of the Armenia-EU relationship are already outlining Armenia's foreign policy priority," he stated, adding that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs recommends approving the bill to launch the EU accession process formally.

Addressing questions about Russia’s reaction to Armenia’s steps toward EU membership, Hovhannisyan cited Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s remarks following discussions with Armenian officials. “A substantive discussion was held on all matters,” Hovhannisyan said. “You saw from the results and the atmosphere of that question-and-answer session that the matters were discussed in a healthy working atmosphere.”

When asked whether Armenia’s EU integration efforts might hinder its membership in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), Hovhannisyan declined to speculate. “As for what will happen at this or that phase, let’s really leave [it] to the future,” he concluded.

Armenian Parliament to Vote on Launching EU Membership Bid

Lawmakers in Armenia’s parliamentary committee on European integration affairs are debating a bill to formally launch the process of Armenia’s accession to the European Union (EU). The bill, endorsed by the Armenian Cabinet on January 9, was initiated by several civic organizations through a petition that garnered enough public support to qualify for parliamentary discussion.

The bill will proceed to a plenary session in parliament after passing the committee hearing. Artak Zeynalyan, a former lawmaker and representative of the group behind the petition, described the bill as a reflection of the Armenian people's determination to join the EU. "The purpose of passing the bill is to enshrine the determination of the Armenian people and the will of its current government to join the family of advanced, civilized, developed humanity," Zeynalyan said during the committee hearing.

He highlighted the potential benefits of EU integration, including promoting regional peace and stability, diversifying the economy, and improving the quality of goods and services.

Zeynalyan also addressed the compatibility of Armenia’s membership in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) with potential EU accession, noting that the two organizations have fundamentally different frameworks. “If we are speaking theoretically about the Eurasian Economic Union, then Armenia cannot simultaneously be a member of the EU by being a member of another union. They are incompatible,” he explained.

He emphasized that Armenia must make decisions regarding accession to or withdrawal from intergovernmental organizations as a sovereign state, and such decisions would require a national referendum.

Armenia’s PM Nikol Pashinyan previously expressed confidence that the bill would likely pass in parliament. However, he also emphasized that final decisions on EU membership would require a referendum. Pashinyan's administration has endorsed the bill as part of its broader commitment to deepening relations with the EU.

Parliamentary debates on the bill are expected to continue in the coming weeks.