Armenia EU membership push draws EU interest

Armenia's possible push to join the European Union drew a cautious response from Brussels on Aug. 25, after Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said Yerevan could soon begin the process of submitting a membership application.

EU spokeswoman Paula Pinho said Armenia's interest was another sign of the EU's attractiveness and said the bloc looked at it "with interest". EU spokesman Markus Lammert said joining the bloc involves a defined, merit-based process and requires a formal application from an aspiring country.

Lammert said the EU is already working to bring Armenia closer through areas including connectivity and trade.

Pashinyan told parliament on Aug. 24 that Armenia could begin the formal application process "in the near future". He said Armenia would hold a referendum on membership after lodging a bid.

Armenia is formally allied with Moscow but has been building ties with the EU for years amid frustration over Russia's perceived failure to protect it during conflicts with neighbouring Azerbaijan. Russia has warned against deeper European integration and has increased pressure on Yerevan by imposing import curbs.

President Vladimir Putin warned in June that the "Ukrainian scenario" began with Kyiv's EU ambitions. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov had also said the trade, sanitary and customs rules of the EU and Russian-led blocs did not match.

The EU currently has 27 members. There are nine official candidate countries, including the ex-Soviet states Ukraine and Moldova.