Armenia Approves Bill on EU Accession Process

The Armenian government today approved a bill to begin the process of the country's accession to the European Union (EU), which will soon be debated in the Yerevan Parliament.

"The bill states that the Republic of Armenia declares the beginning of the process of accession to the European Union," reads the document approved by the Council of Ministers, quoted by the Armenian press.

At the Council of Ministers meeting, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian stressed that the decision to join the EU can only be taken through a referendum.

"At this stage, before deciding on the referendum, we need to discuss a roadmap with the European Union, we need to develop this roadmap," the head of government stressed.

The parliament is expected to consider the bill at the end of January.

Armenia, a former Soviet republic, is a member of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and the Eurasian Economic Union, structures led by Russia.

In January last year, Pashinian froze the country's membership in the CSTO after accusing the organization of a lack of commitment to the war with Azerbaijan, which culminated in the expulsion of Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh.