Official: Armenia's sudden EU membership would lead to economic collapse

Aram Manukyan, deputy chairman of the Armenian National Congress and associate of former President Ter-Petrosyan, has warned that Armenia's economy would face collapse if it were suddenly admitted to the European Union.

Manukyan asserts that Armenia's current legislation and product quality fall short of EU standards, making such a sudden transition impractical, Caliber.Az reports via Armenian media.

He criticized the push for a referendum on EU membership as unrealistic, pointing out that Armenia’s aspirations are not aligned with its current capabilities.

Manukyan highlighted that more developed countries have spent 25 years aligning their legislation and standards with EU requirements. He also noted that recent successes of right-wing parties in the EU elections could further complicate Armenia’s potential accession.

"They have been changing their legislation, standards and internal structures for 25 years. In the last EU elections, right-wingers recorded success in different places, and this will lead to the fact that accession to the EU will be further complicated," Manukyan noted.