We fully understand that it is impossible to be part of both the EU and the EAEU simultaneously, and that Armenia will have to make a choice in the future. Pashinyan

“I don't know how realistic it is, but next year could be a realistic timeframe; 2028 could also be realistic. However, for now, we are focused on the visa liberalisation dialogue,” Nikol Pashinyan stated in response to a question about when Armenia intends to submit an application for EU membership.

“We fully understand that it is impossible to be part of both the EU and the EAEU simultaneously. We also understand that Armenia will have to make a choice in the future. However, before that, we need to create an alternative and put a genuine political question before our people. The citizens of Armenia must decide whether they want to remain part of the EAEU or join the EU. We want the Armenian people to have the opportunity to make a democratic choice,” Pashinyan noted.

He added that European policy is not a tool or a means for Armenia to become detached from or isolated from the region politically, psychologically, or economically.

“Today, regional policy is one of our country's priorities. Throughout our independence, we have had a conflict with Azerbaijan. We have complicated relations with Turkey—or no relations at all—while we have always maintained good relations with Georgia and Iran. However, there are also certain restrictions in this regard, related to international sanctions. We do not see Armenia as being outside our region,” Pashinyan stated.