The lower house of Russia's parliament (the State Duma) has ratified the treaty on Armenia's joining the Eurasian Economic Union, Itar-Tass reported.

Armenia will become a member of the union after all the ratification procedures in member countries (Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan) are completed, but no earlier than January 1, 2015.

“Armenia has shown the maximum will to go the Eurasian way of development. It is a historic decision for the formation of the EEU,” the head of the Russian Duma committee for CIS affairs, Leonid Slutsky, told TASS earlier Wednesday, Dec 10.

The heads of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Armenia signed the agreement on the EEU in October this year. Armenia in September 2013 declared plans to join the Customs Union and participate in the EEU formation.

The Eurasian Economic Union is being formed as an interstate Eurasian integration organization based on the Customs Union, which is open for other states to join.