Armenia approved the draft law on joining the European Union
The Government of Armenia approved the draft law on launching the process of the country's accession to the European Union. It is sent to the parliament for adoption.
 
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan emphasized that the final intention to join the EU must be approved by a national referendum. At the same time, he reminded that there are still problems with the citizens of Armenia obtaining visas to European countries.
 
The Russian authorities have repeatedly expressed their disapproval of Armenia's desire to become closer to Europe. According to Moscow, this is not in the interests of Yerevan and delays the normalization of the geopolitical situation in Transcaucasia. Earlier, Armenia actually stopped participating in the events of the pro-Russian CSTO military bloc. Also, Yerevan practically refused to purchase weapons from the Russian Federation and blocked the broadcast of a number of Russian propaganda TV programs. In July 2024, after 32 years of service, the Russian border guards left the Yerevan Zvartnots airport. In addition, from 2025, they will cease to serve at checkpoints on the Armenian-Iranian border.