Armenian Parliament passes EU accession bill in first reading

PanARMENIAN.Net - The National Assembly has passed the first reading of the bill titled "On launching Armenia’s EU accession process", which was introduced as a civic initiative. The bill was supported by 63 MPs, while 7 voted against.

MPs from the Armenia faction boycotted the vote, while the "I Have Honor" faction had previously announced its opposition to the bill.

According to Seyran Ohanyan, leader of the Armenia faction, the proposed bill cannot be considered a law, Factor.am reports.

"EU accession requires a referendum, which can only be initiated by the government. The constitution does not provide for any alternative accession mechanism, including the initiation of any process through legislation. At best, this bill can be regarded as a parliamentary statement or declaration," he emphasized.

The bill was presented in parliament by Artak Zeynalyan, the authorized representative of the initiative group. According to him, the final version, approved by the Committee on European Integration, includes the following provision:

"The Republic of Armenia, expressing the will of its people and aiming to become a secure, stable, developed, and prosperous country, declares the launch of the process of Armenia's accession to the European Union."

"This law officially announces the launch of the EU accession process by both the initiative’s supporters and the Republic of Armenia. It will shape the direction and scale of governmental decisions and actions. In the current geopolitical situation, the adoption of this law will strengthen Armenia’s sovereignty and resilience. It will make democracy, citizen participation in governance, and the rule of law irreversible, restoring confidence in the predictability of state policy," Zeynalyan stated.

Zeynalyan believes that the law reflects the will and determination of both the Armenian people and the current government to join the family of progressive, civilized, and developed nations.

According to Ohanyan, the Armenian government could take practical steps toward Schengen visa liberalization or at least facilitate visa issuance without introducing new legislative initiatives, Armenpress reports.

"In our view, bringing this issue to the agenda now is highly artificial, unrealistic, and disconnected from geopolitical realities. We can move closer to the EU only to the extent that it does not pose an existential threat. In this context, such abrupt steps present a clear challenge for all of us. Considering all this, the 'Hayastan' faction has decided to abstain from voting on this bill," Ohanyan concluded.

On February 11, the National Assembly began discussing the legislative initiative on Armenia’s EU accession process. The bill was submitted by the Eurovote civic movement, which gathered the necessary signatures to present the proposal to parliament. On January 9, the government reviewed and approved the bill before forwarding it for parliamentary discussion.