Armenia prepares for key European integration discussions as Kallas’ visit approaches

Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Paruyr Hovhannisyan has said that EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission Kaja Kallas will visit Armenia in the coming weeks. 

"In the coming weeks, high-ranking official Kallas will visit Armenia," Hovhannisyan said during an extraordinary meeting of the parliamentary Standing Committee on European Integration, Caliber.Az reports per Armenian media.

He did not provide further details regarding the visit. On January 24, the parliamentary Standing Committee on European Integration is discussing a bill to begin Armenia's process of joining the EU.

Earlier, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan clarified that the bill on Armenia's accession to the European Union is a public initiative and does not include specific deadlines or mechanisms for implementation.

He made this statement after talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Mirzoyan emphasized that there is no discussion of timelines or detailed procedures at this stage.

"This is a civil society initiative," he explained. "The organizations collected 50,000 votes, as required by the Armenian Constitution, and this initiative has now become a bill, which will be voted on in parliament. The government has approved this bill."

He also mentioned that the ruling majority in parliament is expected to support the draft law, but added, "What happens next, we will deal with later. This law does not include any further stipulations."

When asked about the potential conflict between Armenia's membership in the European Union and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), Mirzoyan acknowledged the complexities of such a situation.

"All theoreticians and practitioners agree that there are contradictions. It's not for me to judge, but if the issue arises, we will need to address it," he stated.

In January, the Armenian government approved the bill for EU accession, which was then forwarded to parliament. The move came after 60,000 signatures were gathered by non-parliamentary parties, signalling widespread public support for Armenia's European aspirations.

By Naila Huseynova