As preparations for Armenia’s official application for European Union membership come to the fore, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced that the process is planned to begin soon. Pashinyan made the statement in parliament.
The prime minister said the application would provide information about Armenia’s potential EU membership and help establish a timetable for the necessary reforms. Pashinyan said the process would require comprehensive work and added that Yerevan was also taking into account the persistent demands of its partners in the Eurasian Economic Union.
No plans for Armenia to return to the security organization
Pashinyan said he would welcome the Collective Security Treaty Organization expelling Armenia from its membership. He said such a decision would spare his country the need to choose whether to leave the organization, adding that Armenia’s interest in the organization had run out.
The Armenian prime minister also said that his country did not plan to return to the Collective Security Treaty Organization within the next five years.
Request to transfer the railway to a third party
Speaking about the South Caucasus Railway, Pashinyan asked its Russian partners to show flexibility regarding the sale of the railway to a third party. He said the railway belonged to Armenia, while its operations were run by Russian Railways.
Pashinyan argued that keeping the railway under Russian management risked causing Armenia to miss the opportunity to integrate into the international railway network. He said the TRIPP project did not envisage the presence of any foreign military or armed forces.