YEREVAN – Armenia has officially taken a significant step toward deeper integration with the European Union, as President Vahagn Khachaturyan signed into law a bill that paves the way for the country’s potential alignment with the bloc.
While the legislation does not constitute a formal EU membership application, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan emphasized that it initiates a long-term process of convergence with European norms and values. In office since 2018, Pashinyan has gradually shifted Armenia’s foreign policy focus westward, aiming to balance ties beyond its historically dominant partner, Russia.
Pashinyan also urged citizens to temper expectations, noting that any future EU membership would likely require both extensive reforms and a national referendum.
The bill’s ratification arrives at a pivotal time, as Armenia heads into a general election next year and prepares for a potential referendum on constitutional reforms. These changes, demanded by longtime adversary Azerbaijan as part of a draft peace agreement, are seen as essential to ending nearly 40 years of conflict over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Although Armenia has grown closer to the EU, full accession remains a complex challenge. The small, landlocked nation of 2.7 million lacks a direct border with any EU member and remains economically intertwined with Russia, especially in energy imports. Moscow has warned that any bid to join the EU would force Armenia to exit the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union.
Despite these hurdles, Armenia’s move signals a strategic shift in its global orientation — one that may gradually redefine its place in the post-Soviet geopolitical landscape.