Galuzin: Armenia has begun EU accession process

PanARMENIAN.Net - Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin said that Armenia's process of joining the European Union has already begun, pointing to the adoption of a relevant law in the country.

He added that Yerevan is already taking practical steps toward EU membership, TASS reported.

"The law adopted in Armenia last April is entitled 'On the Launch of the Process of Accession to the European Union.' What more is needed to conclude that Armenia's accession process to the European Union has begun? A special law has been adopted on this issue. I see no other interpretation," Galuzin said in an interview with RTVI.

He noted that there are many such "EU aspirants" that have been waiting for membership for decades.

"In general, the question of exactly which specific actions have been taken is not of fundamental importance. What is fundamental is that there is a law adopted by parliament and signed by the country's president, as well as practical steps being taken toward closer Armenia–European Union relations," he said.

Galuzin also commented on the Russian military presence in Armenia, saying Moscow has received no signals from Yerevan about revising the status of the Russian military base.

"At the official level, the Armenian side states that Yerevan is not considering ending the operation of the Russian military base in Gyumri. We are convinced that this military base is one of the key elements ensuring the security of Armenia and the South Caucasus as a whole," the diplomat said.

According to Galuzin, certain political forces and some pro-Western non-governmental organizations in Armenia are trying to discredit Russia's military presence by portraying it as an instrument of occupation or as evidence of an unfriendly attitude toward Armenia and its isolation. He argued that these efforts have failed because they encounter what he described as a friendly attitude among the local population toward the Russian military base.

Russia's 102nd military base in Armenia operates under an intergovernmental agreement signed between Moscow and Yerevan in 1995. The agreement is valid until 2044.