Armenia to start EU bid soon, says PM Pashinyan

Armenia will soon begin preparations for its EU accession bid, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan told parliament on Monday, amid warnings from Moscow not to pursue deeper European integration.

Armenia is formally allied with Moscow but has been building ties with the European Union for years, amid frustration over Russia's perceived failure to protect it during conflicts with neighbouring Azerbaijan.

Russia, which has a military base in Armenia, still wields substantial influence over the small Caucasus country and counts it as a member of its Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).

"Armenia must first submit an official application for EU membership," Pashinyan told deputies.

"We may begin this process in the near future, especially given the urgent requests from our EAEU partners," he said.

Once the bid is lodged, Armenia would hold a referendum on membership, he added.

Russia has repeatedly called for such a vote, and the Kremlin has consistently warned that membership of both Western and Russian blocs is incompatible.

Asked about the former Soviet republic's EU aspirations on Monday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the trade, sanitary and customs rules of the two blocs did not match.

"I always recommend here that we keep in mind the experience of Turkey and a number of other countries, whose applications were submitted decades and decades ago, yet they're still in the same situation today," Peskov said.

Turkey, Armenia's arch-rival, has been in the EU's waiting room for nearly 40 years.

Pashinyan, who rose to power through street protests in 2018, was re-elected in June after hosting EU leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for a summit.

Moscow has stepped up pressure on Yerevan over its rapprochement with Brussels by imposing import curbs. In a warning to Armenia, President Vladimir Putin said in June that the "Ukrainian scenario" began with Kyiv's EU ambitions.