Armenia Considers Joining EU Amidst Tensions with Russia: What You Need to Know

Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan confirmed in an interview with Turkish media on Friday (March 8) that Armenia is considering applying to join the European Union.

Faced with tensions with its traditional ally, Russia, Armenia has sought closer ties with the West.

“Now, Armenia is widely discussing many new opportunities, and if I say this includes joining the European Union, it is not a secret.”

Mirzoyan said this in an interview with Turkey’s TRT TV station in the Turkish city of Antalya. The remarks were made during a diplomatic conference.

Previously, Armenian media reported that Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan planned to launch the EU application process before the end of 2024.

Since coming to power in 2018, Pashinyan has continued to work hard to lead Armenia to deepen its relations with the West, causing its relationship with its traditional ally Russia to drift away. Pashinyan has also accused Russia of seeking to undermine his government.

After Armenia and Azerbaijan resumed fighting over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region in 2020, relations between Armenia and Russia worsened, with Russia accusing Russia of failing to assist Armenia in resisting its old enemy, Azerbaijan.

Pashinyan reiterated last month that Armenia was not a Russian ally in the Russo-Ukrainian war and said he was considering whether to stay in the “Collective Security Treaty Organization” (CSTO) led by Moscow.

Some facts about the EU

Since the end of World War II, the EU has become a significant global player, even though the number of EU member states has dropped from 28 to 27 in 2020 due to Brexit.

The European Union, composed of 27 countries, has a population of 450 million and a total nominal GDP of US$19.3 trillion. It is the world’s second-largest economy after the United States.

The EU has three presidents who lead the main institutions, namely European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Charles Michel, and European Parliament President Roberta ·Roberta Metsola.

Von der Leyen, who has served as President of the European Commission since December 2019, has undoubtedly become a representative figure of the EU. The European Parliament will hold a five-year re-election in June this year, and the executive branch will also change. Von der Leyen plans to seek re-election as President of the European Commission.

Goods, services, and finance can flow freely between EU member states, and EU citizens can live and work in any member state. Among the 27 member countries, 20 countries adopt the single currency euro. These measures make life more convenient for people in the European Union.

Regarding joining the EU, the overall process may take more than 10 years. In addition to the lengthy decision-making process, each member state has veto power in matters such as EU membership, citizenship, EU finances, and common foreign and defense policy. The EU is currently evaluating applications from 10 countries that want to join, including Ukraine and Turkey, and the number of issues to be decided is increasing.

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