Armenia’s future alignment between the European Union and the Eurasian Economic Union is in focus after Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said an EU membership application in 2027 or 2028 was realistic.
In an interview with Euronews published Nov. 3, Pashinyan said, “Next year we can be realistic. 2028 can be realistic.” The estimate concerns a formal application, not a confirmed filing date.
Armenia’s National Assembly adopted a law in March 2025 to launch a domestic membership process. In an Aug. 24 address, Pashinyan said the government still had to prepare and submit a formal request to the EU, with preparatory work expected to start soon.
Pashinyan said a referendum should wait until Armenia had filed its request and received an EU response and a roadmap. In the Euronews interview, he described EU membership as a strategic choice to protect democracy.
An application would open EU consideration; it would not make Armenia a member. Article 49 of the Treaty on European Union requires unanimous backing in the Council, consultation with the European Commission and consent from the European Parliament.
Armenia is a member of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), which includes Russia. Pashinyan has said the country cannot belong to both the EU and EAEU simultaneously. He told Euronews that the Armenian people should decide whether to seek EU membership.
In his Aug. 24 speech, Pashinyan framed creating alternatives as a matter of state security. The issue also has a historical precedent: Armenia turned from a planned EU association pact toward the Eurasian Economic Union in 2013, a change Pashinyan revisited at a July 2 press conference.
Although no firm filing date has been announced, Pashinyan identified preparing and submitting the EU request as the next stage. He said a referendum should follow an EU response and a roadmap.
