During the discussion of the bill on launching Armenia’s EU accession process, the main speaker, Artak Zeynalyan, explained that the initiative does not seek to break economic ties with the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) but rather to supplement the EAEU market with access to the EU market.

He added that Armenia is currently aligning its standards and regulations accordingly, as reported by Armenpress.

"Significant funds are being invested in laboratories to ensure that our products meet EU standards. In fact, EAEU standards and regulations are not originally created within the EAEU; they are derived from EU standards, then reduced and modified to form EAEU standards. If our standards are aligned with the EU’s, they will inherently include EAEU standards," Zeynalyan explained.

He emphasized that the goal is not to replace the 185-million-strong EAEU market with the 450-million-strong EU market, but to integrate with the EU’s well-developed, compact logistical network. In contrast, the EAEU spans vast distances, making its logistics less efficient compared to the EU.

Zeynalyan clarified that the proposed bill concerns the initiation of the EU accession process, rather than neutralizing or withdrawing from the EAEU. He also noted that Armenia has received no official ultimatum or statement regarding an exit from the EAEU, and remarks made by individual officials from certain countries do not represent official government positions.

The "I Have Honor" faction announced its opposition to the EU accession bill, arguing that it lacks legal grounding and could jeopardize Armenia’s economic and political interests.

"The bill has no legal implications for Armenia's EU accession or non-accession. However, as a political document, it could have irreversible political and economic consequences given Armenia’s membership in supranational organizations, particularly the EAEU. Considering statements from partner states and fundamental principles of international law, it is evident that this process endangers Armenia’s essential economic ties with EAEU markets. This symbolic and legally void initiative will not yield any positive outcomes for Armenia but may lead to serious economic consequences for our country and citizens," the faction's statement read.

On January 9, the Armenian government approved the proposal to begin the EU accession process, submitted by the "Eurovote" civil initiative. The bill will be debated in Parliament in the coming weeks.

The European Union will analyze the Armenian government's approved bill on launching the EU accession process and discuss it with Armenian authorities, according to Anita Hipper, the EU’s chief spokesperson for foreign affairs and security policy.