Politico: Armenia’s EU accession process paves the way for a long and potentially fruitless quest

Armenia’s parliament has officially adopted a law on launching the country’s accession process to the European Union. The decision in Yerevan paves the way for a long and winding (and potentially fruitless) quest toward a place in the bloc, Politico writes.

The legislation, which has now passed its second reading, calls on the Armenian government to begin the process of gaining membership of the EU. The South Caucasus country has been Russia’s close ally in the region for decades, but recently it has sought to cut ties with Moscow as Armenia accused it of failing to provide support in a conflict with neighboring Azerbaijan.

While Yerevan is now working to reach a historic peace treaty with Azerbaijan, it is also keen to strengthen ties with Brussels.

However, the process of joining the EU can take decades, as it includes assessments of a country’s compliance with the bloc’s criteria in a wide range of policy areas, such as the functioning of democratic institutions, the judiciary and fundamental rights — and countries could even backtrack during the process. This is now the case with one of Armenia’s other neighbors, Georgia, which was accepted by the EU as a candidate in 2023, but Brussels halted the accession process “as the country began an authoritarian pivot.”

As noted, The Kremlin’s influence remains strong in Armenia, as it is heavily dependent on Russian energy and trade, and Yerevan even hosts a Russian military base.