Armenian Parliament passes first reading of bill to launch EU accession bid

Armenia’s National Assembly has passed the first reading of a bill titled “On the Initiation of the Republic of Armenia’s Accession Process to the EU,” Armenpress reports. The legislation was approved by 63 MPs, with 7 voting against, while the opposition Armenia Alliance — led by former President Robert Kocharyan — refused to participate in the vote.

The bill started out as a civil initiative, gathering 60,000 signatures — well above the 50,000 required for parliamentary consideration. In January, Armenia’s government approved the proposal, paving the way for its introduction in parliament.

The final version of the bill, endorsed by the Committee on European Integration, states:

“The Republic of Armenia, reflecting the will of its people and aiming to establish a safe, secure, developed, and prosperous nation, declares the beginning of the Republic of Armenia’s accession process to the European Union.”

In late January, the EU extended its civilian monitoring mission, which has been overseeing Armenia’s border with Azerbaijan for the past two years. Armenia is simultaneously phasing out Russian border guards from its territory.