Armenia’s EU membership law lacks specific timelines, top diplomat says

Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan clarified that the draft law 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, quoted by Russian media, after talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, per Caliber.Az.

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 draft law, 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 draft law 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 Tamilla Hasanova