The National Assembly of Armenia on March 26 adopted in the second and final reading a bill on joining the European Union. The document was voted for by 64 deputies, against — 7, abstained 2, the press service of the parliament reported.
The law was supported only by deputies of the ruling faction «Civil Contract». Representatives of the opposition faction «I Have Honor» of former President Serzh Sargsyan opposed it, and deputies of the faction «Armenia» of former President Robert Kocharyan did not vote.
The bill provides for the harmonization of Armenian legislation with EU norms, including reforms in the field of human rights, economy, and anti-corruption. In the final version, an amendment was made: the phrase «Armenia, expressing the will of the people» was replaced with «Armenia, striving to develop democratic institutions, improve the welfare of society, strengthen security, resilience, and the rule of law, announces the start of the process of joining the EU».
The process of joining the EU was launched by the Armenian government in January 2025. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan supported the bill and called the European Union a «key partner», but noted that Armenia's membership in the EU can only be accepted by referendum. Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia Paruyr Hovhannisyan also noted that the adoption of the bill is not an application for EU membership.
Moscow had previously warned that simultaneous membership of Armenia in the EU and the EAEU is impossible. The Eurasian Economic Union includes Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan.