Armenia completes signature drive for EU membership referendum

The collection of signatures to initiate a referendum on Armenia's accession to the European Union has been successfully completed, with over 60,000 signatures gathered — surpassing the required 50,000.

The Armenian Eurovote headquarters announced the news on their Facebook page, Caliber.Az reports via Russian media.

“This collection of signatures reflects not only the aspirations of Armenian citizens for freedom and national dignity but also demonstrates the political maturity and unity of our society in pursuit of universal values and a European future. This marks a significant step in the ongoing geopolitical developments in our region,” the statement reads.

The political parties and civil society groups behind this initiative plan to submit the collected signatures to the Central Election Commission of Armenia soon. Following the necessary checks, the Commission will forward them to the Armenian Parliament for further consideration.

The initiative for the referendum was proposed by the “Platform of Democratic Forces,” a coalition formed by pro-Western political factions.

On October 25, Armenian Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan announced the establishment of a working group to coordinate efforts on visa liberalization with the EU.

This group was created under the interdepartmental commission responsible for implementing agreements between Armenia and the EU. Grigoryan will lead the group, which includes heads of parliamentary committees on European integration and foreign relations, as well as deputy ministers from various departments, including Interior, Justice, Health, and Foreign Affairs.

In September, Grigoryan announced the commencement of official dialogue on visa liberalization with the EU after meeting with European Commission Vice-President Margaritis Schinas.

To achieve visa liberalization, Armenia will need to implement reforms in critical areas such as border security, migration, and the protection of fundamental rights and freedoms.

By Tamilla Hasanova