Armenia’s parliament took another step towards aligning the country with the West, approving a draft law calling on the government to begin the process of joining the European Union (EU).
The law passed on March 26 with 64 votes in favor, all from the ruling Civil Contract party, and seven against from opposition lawmakers, marking the latest move away from Russia. This shift follows what Yerevan claims as Russia’s failure to support Armenia in its conflict with neighboring Azerbaijan.
Artak Zejnalian, former justice minister and one of the proponents of EU membership, stated, “We submitted this law proposal so that Armenia could express its political will to move towards the European Union. This process is irreversible. The people are calling for this.”
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan supported the draft law in January but emphasized that a referendum would be needed for EU accession. He also noted that Armenia would have to implement significant reforms in areas such as its judicial system to have a chance to join the 27-nation bloc.
Armenia and Azerbaijan have fought multiple wars over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, which has been predominantly ethnic Armenian since the Soviet Union’s collapse but is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan. After Azerbaijan seized full control of the region in a lightning one-day military offensive in September 2023, nearly 100,000 ethnic Armenians fled to Armenia. Yerevan accused Russia, which had nearly 2,000 soldiers stationed in the region, of failing to prevent the fighting and the subsequent exodus.
In the aftermath of the attack, Pashinyan stated in a televised address that Armenia’s existing security alliances with Russia and the Russia-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) were “ineffective” and “insufficient.”
In February 2024, Pashinyan froze Armenia’s participation in the CSTO and signed agreements to deepen defense ties with France. Armenia also joined the International Criminal Court, which could mean complying with an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin if he visits.
Armenia held military drills with U.S. troops in June 2024 and signed a strategic partnership agreement with the United States in January, a week before President Donald Trump took office.
Russia has warned Armenia that turning towards the EU could have negative economic consequences. Russian Deputy Prime Minister for Eurasian Integration Alexey Overchuk stated in January that beginning the EU membership process would “start the process of exiting the Eurasian Economic Union,” a Moscow-led customs and trade bloc, adding that Armenia cannot be a member of both groups.
Last week, Russian Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu warned that Armenia risks losing tariff-free trade with Russia and facing potential price hikes for Russian natural gas. He also mentioned that Russia could expel a significant number of Armenian migrant workers.
Armenia and Azerbaijan announced last week that they had finalized the text of a historic peace agreement, though it remains unclear when their leaders will sign it.
