RA parliament to debate EU accession bill March 25

PanARMENIAN.Net - The European Union is expected to issue an official response regarding Armenia’s potential EU accession only after the Armenian Parliament passes the related bill in its second reading, according to Deputy Foreign Minister Paruyr Hovhannisyan.

During a meeting of the Standing Committee on European Integration, Hovhannisyan was asked by opposition MP Armen Gevorgyan whether any formal feedback had been received from EU institutions. He replied that Brussels was likely awaiting the final approval of the bill to respond accordingly.

“The only official positions were included in documents and decisions adopted by the EU-Armenia Parliamentary Partnership Committee. As the European External Action Service officially stated, they are waiting for the law to be adopted,” Hovhannisyan said, as reported by Panorama.am .

In response, Gevorgyan argued: “Given my knowledge of the EU’s working style, they never wait for second or third readings. If there is a political decision, they usually either welcome it from the outset, respond positively, or choose not to respond at all.”

Following a committee vote, the bill proposing to initiate Armenia’s EU accession process has been added to the agenda of the upcoming full parliamentary session starting March 25.

The bill was submitted to Parliament through the Eurovote civic initiative and passed its first reading on February 12. Representatives of the ruling party emphasized that the bill’s adoption does not imply a referendum on EU membership, but rather expresses a political intent.