Brussels pledges support for Armenia’s EU ambitions

PanARMENIAN.Net - Europe will support Armenia’s aspirations to join the European Union, EU Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos said while commenting on recent statements regarding Armenia’s European integration.

“The European Political Community meeting, as well as the EU-Armenia summit, showed the path they (Armenia — ed.) want to follow, and Europe will support them,” she said in Brussels, according to RIA Novosti.

Russian President Vladimir Putin had earlier proposed discussing Armenia’s plans regarding the European Union during the next summit of the Eurasian Economic Union.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has repeatedly stated that the country seeks EU membership, while acknowledging that Armenia must meet European standards in order to achieve that goal.

At the same time, during talks with Pashinyan on April 1, Putin said that simultaneous participation in both the European Union and the Eurasian Economic Union customs systems was effectively impossible and represented an economic issue.

The Russian president also said it would be appropriate to hold a referendum regarding the development of cooperation with the European Union, considering both Armenian citizens and Russia, which remains Armenia’s main economic partner.

According to Putin, such a step would allow Russia to draw conclusions and move toward what he described as a “soft, intelligent and mutually beneficial separation.”

Yerevan hosted the 8th summit of the European Political Community on May 4, followed by the first Armenia-EU summit. Around 50 high-level delegations arrived in Armenia for the event, including European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. French President Emmanuel Macron also visited Yerevan, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made his first trip to Armenia.