The government has expressed a positive stance on the civil initiative to join the EU
On January 9, during a government session, Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan presented a draft law submitted to the National Assembly under a civil initiative. The proposal aims to initiate the process of Armenia’s accession to the EU. Ararat Mirzoyan touched upon Armenia-EU relations, noting that dynamic relations have been established between the parties in various fields in recent years.
The EU has repeatedly expressed strong political support for Armenia’s democracy. The EU has demonstrated readiness and, in essence, engaged in ensuring a secure environment around Armenia, including through the deployment of a civilian monitoring mission. The EU has also expressed willingness to support the strengthening of Armenia’s economic resilience. It is well known that the EU and its member states have rich democratic traditions, a free competitive environment, a modern economy, and advanced science. Based on these factors, Prime Minister Pashinyan has previously stated in the European Parliament that Armenia is ready to get as close to the EU as the EU considers possible. Signs of this possibility have also been observed, including the launch of visa liberalization and several other tools already applied or under discussion between Armenia and the EU, such as a new partnership agenda.
He also proposed some substantive changes to the draft, including numbering the provisions, specifying an exact date for enactment, and more.
During the discussion, Pashinyan noted that adopting the draft does not imply EU membership. A referendum would be necessary for such a step.
The signature collection campaign began on September 16 and lasted until November 14. The head of the initiating group is Artak Zeynalyan, a member of the “Republic” party. According to the constitutional law on referendums, at least 50,000 valid signatures are required to initiate a referendum. The initiating group successfully gathered the necessary signatures.