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Armenia will begin the process of formally applying for European Union membership in the near future, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said Monday, adding that an official application must come before preparations for a possible referendum.
Speaking in parliament while presenting the government’s 2026–2031 program, Pashinyan said Yerevan first needs to submit a formal request to join the EU and then work on a roadmap.
“First of all, Armenia must submit an official request for membership in the EU,” Pashinyan said.
He described the process as extensive and said Armenia would begin it “in the near future,” while taking into account concerns raised by its partners in the Eurasian Economic Union, or EAEU.
Pashinyan reiterated that a referendum on EU membership would make sense once public debate reaches a decisive stage and authorities are able to prepare a clear roadmap.
Armenia’s parliament approved a law on March 26, 2025, launching the country’s EU accession process.
EAEU members have warned that deeper integration with the EU could affect Armenia’s membership in the Eurasian bloc.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said EU integration would automatically end Armenia’s cooperation with the EAEU and result in the loss of related benefits.
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At an EAEU summit in Astana on May 29, the leaders of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan adopted a joint statement saying Armenia should hold a nationwide referendum on whether to join the EU or remain in the EAEU.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin told TASS on Aug. 11 that Armenia should decide by December 2026 whether to hold such a referendum.
He said the issue of possible next steps regarding Yerevan would be discussed at a meeting of EAEU heads of state at the end of the year.
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