Nikol Pashinyan: an Armenian EU membership bid is “realistic” in 2027 or 2028
- Published
- Place
- Brussels, Belgium
- Event date
- Past event —
Summary
Armenia could file its formal application to join the European Union in 2027, or in 2028. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said so on 3 November in Brussels, at the EU enlargement summit organised by Euronews. “Next year can be realistic. 2028 can be realistic,” he said, adding that Yerevan does not want simply to “press send”: the application must come with a political dialogue with Brussels. He acknowledged that under current rules Armenia cannot be in both the EU and the Moscow-led Eurasian Economic Union, notably because of customs: “At some point Armenia will have to choose.” The immediate priority remains visa-free travel to the Schengen area, targeted for 2029. While in Brussels he also met European Parliament President Roberta Metsola and Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković.
Analysis
This is the first time Nikol Pashinyan has put dates, however cautious, on a bid that the 2025 law launching the accession process left open. He also openly admits the dilemma with the Eurasian union, on which much of Armenia’s trade and the price of Russian gas depend. His formula, “create a real alternative” and let citizens decide, postpones the final choice. In Moscow, where Dmitry Medvedev spoke of a “new Ukraine”, his words will be closely read.
Possible consequences
No application has been filed yet; the concrete next step remains the dialogue on visa-free Schengen travel, with 2029 as the target.
