Armenia strengthens ties with EU amid strained relations with Russia

Armenia is moving closer to the European Union as its relations with Russia continue to deteriorate.

On July 22, the EU announced the opening of a dialogue on visa liberalization with Armenia, a step described by Armenia's foreign minister as a "milestone" for the country's relationship with the bloc, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

The European Council confirmed this decision on its website, also mentioning the provision of 10 million euros ($10.89 million) in military aid to Armenia.

In recent months, Armenia has been actively strengthening its ties with Western nations amid worsening relations with Russia. Armenian officials have accused Russia of failing to protect Armenia from “its neighbor and long-time rival, Azerbaijan”.

"This is a very important milestone in the deepening partnership between Armenia and the EU, based on shared values and principles," said Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan in a statement.

Visa liberalization would allow Armenians to make short visits to countries within the EU's Schengen Zone without needing a visa. Several other post-Soviet countries, including Moldova, Ukraine, and Armenia's neighbor Georgia, have already been granted similar regimes. The EU stated that the visa-free regime would only be introduced once Armenia met specific "benchmarks," a process that Armenian media reports could take several years.

The military support for Armenia, which has a significant diaspora in Europe, particularly in France, coincides with Yerevan's pursuit of a peace deal with Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan is preparing to propose signing a document with Armenia outlining the basic principles of a future peace treaty, according to a senior Azerbaijani official.

Both Armenia and Azerbaijan have expressed a desire to sign a peace treaty to resolve the conflict over the Azerbaijani region of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev recently stated that a treaty text was 80-90% ready but emphasized that it could not be signed until Armenia amended its constitution to remove an indirect reference to Karabakh independence, a change Armenia has rejected.