Armenia dares to change the course: accessible to the EU!

Armenia dares to change the course: accessible to the EU!

Jerewan, Armenien - Armenia ventures a significant step towards Europe. Prime Minister Nikol Paschinjan announced that the country was ready to start the accession process for the European Union (EU). On Wednesday, the parliament in Jerewan voted with a large majority for a law that the government asks to initiate this process. This represents a clear break with the traditional bond with Russia, since Armenia was part of the Soviet Union until 1991 and since then has maintained close connections to the Kremlin. krone.at reports that the advocacy for EU membership was created against the background of a recent military offensive Azerbaijan in Bergkarabach, in which Armenia felt abandoned by Russia.

Armenia had to accept a painful loss last year: Azerbaijan has brought Bergkarabach completely under control. Russia's military support was in this crisis, which shook the trust of the Armenian leadership in Moscow. As a result, Armenia has frozen membership in the military alliance organization of the contract for collective security dominated by Russia and is actively looking for closer relationships with the EU. In addition, a safety agreement was signed with the USA to strengthen its own defense strategy. t-online.de emphasizes that foreign minister Ararat Mirsojan in relation to the security interests of its country praised.

signal for the change of course

The decision of the Armenian parliament was accompanied by broad support among the population. A citizens' initiative collected over 50,000 signatures for the draft law on EU accession. Despite the positive signals, the government emphasizes that the final decision to join the EU must be made in a referendum. An official dialogue with the EU to develop an accession timetable is the next step on the agenda. However, comprehensive domestic reforms must be initiated in order to meet the requirements for accession.

While Armenia changes its foreign policy orientation, the Kremlin threatens with economic consequences in the event of an EU accession. Russia's spokesman Dmitri Peskow made it clear that simultaneous membership in the Eurasian Wirtschafts Union and the EU was not compatible for Russia. Such a step could heavily burden economic relationships, for example, since Russia delivers natural gas and operates important infrastructures. Therefore, it remains to be seen how Armenia wants to master this balancing act between its western ambitions and the existing dependency on Russia.