EU not considering Armenia's readiness to join – Mamijanyan

YEREVAN, January 23. /ARКА/. No one has invited Armenia to the EU; Armenia is not included in the working documents that analyze countries in the context of potential membership based on various criteria, said Hayk Mamijanyan, head of the opposition faction "I Have the Honor."

“The EU is not even considering whether Armenia is ready to join,” he noted during parliamentary briefings on Thursday.

The MP mentioned that this issue has not yet been discussed within the "I Have the Honor" faction, and the faction will express its position once the matter is included in the plenary session agenda.

“However, I expect that the political groups that initiated this process will be honest with the public and will acknowledge that, in fact, there has been no positive response from the EU, apart from statements by some members of the European Parliament,” Mamijanyan said.

Regarding Armenia's EU Accession Process

On January 9, the Armenian government approved a proposal for Armenia’s accession to the EU, introduced by the civil initiative "Platform of Democratic Forces." As Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated, Armenia can only become an EU member if the people approve the initiative through a referendum. He emphasized the need to discuss and develop a joint "road map" with the EU. Earlier, he also stated that Armenia is willing to get as close to the EU as the EU is willing to engage.

Miriam Lexmann, the European Parliament's permanent rapporteur on Armenia, welcomed the government’s decision to start the EU accession process, noting that "those who meet the necessary conditions and share our values should always be welcome."