Armenia’s EU accession process has no real prospects but could pose significant threats to the country, Russian State Duma International Affairs Committee member Roza Chemeris said, according to RIA Novosti.

On Wednesday, Feb 12, Armenia’s parliament approved a bill declaring the start of the country's EU accession process. However, the EU itself has not offered Armenia membership.

“The process of Armenia joining the European Union has no prospects for development but poses serious threats to the country. As we know, Armenia is currently a member of the EAEU and the CSTO. In this case, it will have to choose between the EAEU and the EU, which could lead to significant economic losses for Armenia,” Chemeris said.

She emphasized that a country cannot simultaneously belong to international organizations with conflicting interests. Furthermore, she argued that EU membership would not provide Armenia with the security guarantees it expects.

“In such a case, Armenia would not receive security guarantees from the European Union, but rather—unexpectedly yet highly likely—from Turkey. And what this could lead to, other than a major geopolitical catastrophe, is difficult to even imagine,” Chemeris concluded.