Armenia mulling EU membership application, foreign minister says

Armenia is considering applying to join the European Union, its Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said on Friday.

In a television interview with Turkish channel TRT on the sidelines of a diplomatic gathering in Antalya, Turkey, Mirzoyan said Armenia is seeking to get closer to the West amid worsening relations with Russia.

“New opportunities are largely being discussed in Armenia nowadays,” Mirzoyan said. “That includes membership in the European Union.”

His remarks follow reports in the Armenian press that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan plans to start the EU application process by late 2024.

Pashinyan has served as the country’s premier since 2018, and has spearheaded efforts to build deeper ties with the West, especially in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and the Kremlin’s growing support for Armenia’s regional rival Azerbaijan.