Pashinyan: Armenia may apply for EU membership in 2027–2028

EU membership application: timeline and conditions

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in an interview with Euronews at the enlargement summit that Armenia may officially submit an application to join the European Union in 2027 or 2028, expressing hope that the country will become 'the third candidate country in our region' after Turkey and Georgia. At the same time, he stressed that Armenia is still taking a cautious approach: the strategy is to balance economic and political relations, and 'the process of balancing our external relations is a process of risk management.'

The choice between the EU and the EAEU will rest with the citizens

Pashinyan directly acknowledged the incompatibility of the two integration projects: 'We know that it is impossible to be a member of the European Union and the Eurasian Economic Union at the same time, and I have publicly stated that we understand this.' According to him, Armenia will have to make a choice in the future, and it will be the country's citizens who decide, while the government's task is to 'create an alternative' that gives people the opportunity to choose. Euronews notes that the EU membership application has already set Armenia on a collision course with its membership in the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union. Pashinyan also mentioned complicated or non-existent relations with Turkey and good relations with Georgia and Iran, where restrictions related to international sanctions are in force.

The South Caucasus as a single region and the TRIPP corridor

Pashinyan linked Armenia's prospects to the peace process with Azerbaijan, which, he said, 'has become a reality on the ground,' and stressed the need to sign and ratify a peace agreement. He stated that the region is now acquiring 'an entirely new global role': peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan and cooperation with Georgia open up regional transport connectivity and create a new opportunity for addressing the global supply chain crisis. The Prime Minister called the TRIPP corridor (Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity) part of the process of forming a new global trade route — 'especially for the European Union, for China, for the Middle East, for Africa' — against the backdrop of Central Asia's growing global importance. In addition, Pashinyan promised to support Georgia's European aspirations, since 'Georgia's success is very important for Armenia,' and the decision on its path, he added, must be made by the population of Georgia itself.