Ararat Mirzoyan, the foreign minister of Armenia, announced on Friday that the country is contemplating submitting an application to join the European Union, as a bid to strengthen its affiliation with the West amidst escalating strain with its conventional ally, Russia. During his interview with TRT World, a Turkish television network, Mr Mirzoyan was open about the fact that deliberations around numerous new possibilities, including EU membership, are presently taking place in Armenia.
This statement was made by Mirzoyan during a diplomatic forum in Antalya, a Turkish city situated on the Mediterranean coastline. After taking office following the 2018 revolution, Armenia’s prime minister, Nikol Pashinyan, has been working on bolstering the country’s connections with both Europe and the United States, a move that has frequently provoked Russia, their long-standing ally.
Armenia’s capital, Yerevan, has made it clear on multiple occasions that its partnership with Moscow does not extend to involvement in the Ukrainian conflict. Furthermore, Pashinyan has accused Russia of attempting to destabilize his government. Simultaneously, Armenia criticizes Russia for not providing defense against their traditional adversary, Azerbaijan, who have grown increasingly close to Moscow in recent years. Source: Thomson Reuters 2024.