Armenia has initiated the process of joining the European Union as a member state.
On 12 March 2024, the European Parliament passed a resolution noting that Armenia could apply for membership if it meets the Copenhagen criteria. On 9 September 2024, Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan confirmed that the issue of starting the EU membership process had become part of the Armenian political agenda.
In September 2024 a petition calling for a referendum on whether Armenia should apply for membership of the EU was launched, which succeeded in reaching the 50,000 signatures required in order to be submitted for a vote in the National Assembly. Pashinyan supported the initiative, and on 26 March 2025 Armenia's parliament adopted the EU Integration Act which officially endorsing Armenia's EU accession, with a majority of 64 parliamentarians voting to approve it. The bill calls on the Armenian government to begin the process of joining the EU, making the European integration of Armenia formally part of Armenian legislation. Pashinyan confirmed that the country would go ahead with its plans to join the EU in spite of warnings from Russia.
History of relations
Armenia and the European Union have developed relations since the former achieved its independence in 1991 after the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
The Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA), which was signed in 1996 and was in force until February 2021, served as the legal framework for EU-Armenia bilateral relations. Since 2004, Armenia and the other South Caucasus states have been part of the EU's European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). An ENP Action Plan for Armenia was published on 2 March 2005, "highlighting areas in which bilateral cooperation could feasibly and valuably be strengthened." Armenia entered the EU's Eastern Partnership in 2009. Armenia is additionally a member state of the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly, Council of Europe, European Political Community, Assembly of European Regions, Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, and takes part in various other European programs and treaties such as the European Cultural Convention, European Higher Education Area and the European Court of Human Rights, among others. Armenia also maintains working arrangements with CEPOL, Eurojust, Europol, and Frontex.
Armenia and the EU began negotiating an Association Agreement (AA), which had included a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area agreement, to replace the old PCA in July 2010. However, on 3 September 2013 Armenia announced their decision to join the Eurasian Economic Union.. According to EU politicians, Armenian membership in the Eurasian Economic Union would be incompatible with the agreements negotiated with the EU. President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan stated at the 2 October 2013 Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe session that Armenia was ready to sign the AA during the November 2013 Eastern Partnership Summit in Vilnius, without the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area component of the agreement that contradicts Armenia's membership in the Eurasian Economic Union... A spokesperson of EU Commissioner Füle responded a few days later by saying "no Armenia-EU document is being readied to be signed at a Vilnius summit" and "we're trying to find routes for further cooperation with Armenia, based on the existing achievements". No AA was ultimately initialed at the summit. In January 2015, the EU commissioner for European neighbourhood policy and enlargement Johannes Hahn stated that the EU was willing to sign a revised AA without free trade provisions.
On 27 February 2017, the European Union and Armenia finalized a new Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement. While not an Association Agreement, it advances bilateral relations between the EU and Armenia, and regulates cooperation in political and economic sectors, while enhancing trade relations. The agreement is also designed to bring Armenian laws and regulations gradually closer to the EU acquis. It was signed by Armenia and all EU member states on 24 November 2017. Following ratification of the agreement by the European Union and Armenia, it took effect on 1 March 2021.
In October 2019, the deputy prime minister of Armenia Tigran Avinyan stated that Armenia and the EU have a completely different level of relationship following the 2018 Armenian revolution. The Minister confirmed that the revolution strengthened ties between Armenia and the EU as both share the same democratic values.
Although Armenia's trade with the EU far exceeds that with Eurasian Economic Union members Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan combined, Armenia has historically been dependent on Russia for security. Russia has a military presence in Armenia, the Russian 102nd Military Base is an active base located in the city of Gyumri. Armenia's alliance with Russia, and its membership in the Collective Security Treaty Organization, was seen by Armenia as a counterbalance to Azerbaijan’s sharp hike in military spending (Azerbaijan bought tanks, artillery cannons and rocket launchers worth billions of US dollars from Russia in 2011, 2012 and 2013).... Prior to the Armenia–Azerbaijan peace agreement, the two countries had fought two wars over the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict...
EU membership
Like Georgia, Armenia has been regarded by many as culturally associated with Europe because of its connections with European society, through the profound influence of ancient (Hellenistic and Roman) culture through the Empire of Alexander the Great, the Roman Empire (and later Byzantium), as well as through direct contact with the neighboring Hellenized states of Asia Minor—the Kingdoms of Pontus and Cappadocia, as well as decades of exposure to Slavic culture during the Russian empire (1828-1917) and Soviet Union incorporation until 1991, the religious aspect of being Oriental Orthodox Christian through its national Armenian Apostolic Church, and its Armenian diaspora in Europe. On 12 January 2002, the European Parliament noted that Armenia may join the EU in the future, as the country is considered European.
Following the 2018 Armenian parliamentary election, Nikol Pashinyan was appointed Prime Minister of Armenia. Meanwhile, Bright Armenia emerged as an official opposition party, becoming the 3rd largest party in the National Assembly. Edmon Marukyan, the leader of Bright Armenia stated that should Armenia continue its membership in the Eurasian Economic Union—even to the detriment of national interests, the Bright Armenia party would act as an opponent, and demand that appropriate measures be taken toward withdrawing Armenia from the Eurasian Economic Union and to begin the first steps of EU accession negotiations without delay.
In October 2019, the deputy prime minister of Armenia Tigran Avinyan stated that Armenia will have to decide whether or not to pursue an EU membership bid. The Minister advised that any decision for Armenia to join the European Union would have to be brought before the people and that accession of Armenia to the EU would only occur following Armenia's complete withdrawal from the Eurasian Economic Union.
In December 2019, following the eighth Euronest Parliamentary Assembly, a resolution was passed by all members outlining EU integration goals to be achieved by 2030. The resolution affirmed that the process of EU enlargement is open to Eastern Partnership member states, and that future enlargement of the EU will be mutually beneficial for both the EU and Eastern Partnership members. The resolution coined the term Trio+1, representing the three states with Association Agreements with the EU (Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, which are known as the Association Trio), and Armenia, which had signed the Armenia-EU Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA). The resolution praised the progress achieved by Armenia following the 2018 Velvet Revolution, and stated that the ratification of the CEPA by the Armenian Parliament in April 2018 was considered evidence of a strategically reinforced partnership between Armenia and EU.
In June 2020, the Chair of the European Parliament stated that "we believe that the successful implementation of the comprehensive reforms by Armenia, in areas such as the rule of law, justice and fight against corruption, will create new incentives for an ambitious path towards European integration and the next steps to be taken by Armenia and the EU in the next decade". Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia confirmed that the development of the partnership with the European Union is one of the most important directions of foreign policy of Armenia.
On 17 October 2023, Armenian prime minister Nikol Pashinyan addressed the European Parliament, staying that "the EU is the key partner supporting the fundamental reforms of the Armenian government in recent years" and that "the Republic of Armenia is ready to be closer to the European Union, as much as the European Union considers it possible."
On 14 November 2023, Civil Contract deputy and Chairman of the Standing Committee on European Integration Arman Yeghoyan stated that "Armenia may plan to join the European Union in the future" during a press conference. On 15 November 2023, Minister of Foreign Affairs Ararat Mirzoyan stated "I want to commend the European Commission's decision to recommend the European Council to open accession talks with Moldova and Ukraine and to grant candidate status to Georgia. This decision is welcomed not only by the Government of Armenia, but also people of Armenia, who also have European aspirations."
On 29 February 2024, the President of the National Assembly Alen Simonyan stated that Armenia should seek EU membership. On 2 March 2024, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan advised that Armenia would officially "apply to become a candidate for EU membership in the coming days, within a month at most". On 5 March, Pashinyan stated that Armenia would apply for EU candidacy by autumn 2024 at the latest.
On 8 March 2024, on the sidelines of the 2024 Antalya Diplomacy Forum, Armenian foreign minister Ararat Mirzoyan stated that "Armenia is seeking to get closer to the West amid worsening relations with Russia" and "new opportunities are largely being discussed in Armenia nowadays, that includes membership in the European Union".
On 12 March 2024, the European Parliament passed a resolution noting that Armenia could apply for membership if it met the Copenhagen criteria, which is the membership requirements that were outlined in the Maastricht Treaty Article 49. The resolution praised the progress achieved by Armenia towards the implementation of CEPA, and acknowledged that CEPA acts as a blueprint to further integration, reforms, and a potential roadmap to a future Association Agreement and sectoral integration with the European single market.
On 15 March 2024, Armenian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Paruyr Hovhannisyan announced that Armenia is currently crafting a new cooperation agreement with the EU, aiming to finalize and sign it by July 2024. Hovhannisyan stated that "if the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement between Armenia and the EU is fully implemented, we will indeed have the status of a candidate country for EU membership." The following day, Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of the European Commission spokesperson Peter Stano stated, in response to whether the EU's doors are open to Armenia, that "countries have the right to strive for a better future for their people. They are free to decide how to ensure such a future. As for EU membership, each European country—its people and government—must decide whether it wants to apply for EU membership".