Armenia in the EU? Parliament votes to launch the candidacy, a new step from Moscow – Liberation
Small step towards Europe, Camouflet for Moscow. The Armenian Parliament spoke this Wednesday, March 26, in favor of the candidacy of this country of the Caucasus To integrate the European Union. This former ally of Russia seeks to get closer to the West even if the path to membership is still long. Adopted with 64 votes for, those of deputies of the ruling party, and 7 against, the text, submitted to elected officials in January and adopted at first reading in February, calls on the Armenian government to launch the EU membership process.
Last year, a civic initiative, supported by pro-European parties and organizations, launched a petition requiring the start of a membership process, which had collected around 60,000 signatures in this country of 2.7 million inhabitants. For almost a year and a half, this ex-Soviet republic has multiplied the gestures of distrust of Russia, a historic ally which has long sold her weapons and still has a military base on Armenian territory.
In January, the Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pachinian had supported the EU membership project but declared that the adoption of the text by the Parliament would not be the final stage. Membership « Cannot be done by law or a decision of the government, the decision on this subject must go through a referendum »he had pointed out. And so far, no Member State has publicly supported a potential arrival of Armenia in the EU. But the European enlargement Commissioner, Marta Kos, had assured in January that Brussels « Would accept the membership request if it is made ». EU’s support in favor of the country’s membership did not date from yesterday since in 2009, the Union had already launched an oriental partnership with several countries – including Armenia and Ukraine – offering closer economic and political relations in exchange for reforms.
Russia, for its part, warned that borrowing the path of the European block could cost Armenia dearly. The secretary of the Russian Security Council, Sergei Choigou, said last week that Erevan could lose the benefit of the free trade agreements with Moscow and face an increase in Russian natural gas prices, while the Russian capital could expel a large number of Armenian workers on his soil.
Armenia criticizes Moscow Son Lack of support against Azerbaijanwho has Completely reconquered by force, in the fall of 2023the Azerbaijanic region with a majority of Armenian of Karabakh, controlled for three decades by separatists. Russian peacekeeping soldiers deployed in Karabakh did not intervene during this Azerbaijani offensive to enforce a ceasefire concluded at the end of 2020 between Baku and Yerevan after a six-week war. The resumption of all karabakh by Azerbaijan therefore forced more than 100,000 Armenians to flee This territory, for fear of abuses.
At the end of January 2024, Armenia officially joined the International Criminal Court (ICC), despite Moscow’s warnings, and it is now required to stop Vladimir Putin if he sets foot in Armenian territory, under an ICC arrest warrant issued against the Russian president in March 2023. In February 2024, Erevan frozen « in practice » His participation in the Organization of the Collective Security Treaty (OTSC), a military alliance led by Moscow. In July of the same year, Armenia then hosted joint military exercises with the United States. And in March, Armenia and Azerbaijan announced that he had agreed on a « peace agreement » To settle their decades of conflict.
Armenia is alone in its Europhilia in the Caucasus. At the same time, the Government of Georgia, has committed, According to his detractors in an authoritarian drift and a rapprochement with Russia. In November 2024, he suspended any EU membership processdespite major opposition demonstrations. Third Republic of the Caucasus from the USSR, Azerbaijan is for its part a close ally of Turkey and historic adversary of Erevan.
