Discussion of draft law on EU accession postponed in Armenia

The Permanent Commission on European Integration of the Armenian Parliament postponed the discussion of the draft law on the beginning of the process of the country's accession to the European Union (EU) in the second reading. This was announced on March 3 by the head of the commission, Arman Egoyan, during a meeting.

"The discussion of the bill was postponed due to technical reasons. We have no political differences on this issue," he said.

According to Egoyan, the deputies have not yet been able to coordinate the amendments made by the government with the authors of the document.

"I propose to postpone the discussion of the draft at the voting stage… We will not have time to include the bill in the agenda of the upcoming four—day parliamentary sessions [starting on Tuesday]," Egoyan said.

In turn, Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Paruyr Hovhannisyan noted that this law is not a country's application for EU membership. Therefore, there will be no geopolitical changes for the country's Foreign Ministry in this context.

"This law is not an application for membership in the European Union. This law corresponds to the direction of closer rapprochement with the EU," the deputy minister quotes "Armenpress".

Union under construction: Armenia may consider EU accession law again

A second reading is planned in March — will Yerevan's position change amid the dialogue between Russia and the United States

Earlier, on February 28, the head of the "I have the Honor" faction Hayk Mamidzhanyan informed Izvestia that the Armenian parliament plans to consider the draft law on the start of the EU accession process in the second reading in early March.

Before that, on February 12, the Armenian Parliament adopted the relevant draft in the first reading. The European Commission (EC) told Izvestia that the process of Yerevan's rapprochement with the EU is gaining momentum, but it is still has not submitted an official application to join the association. At the same time, Ruslan Andreev, a political consultant and expert at the Polylogue Group, told Izvestia that draft law on the accession process Armenia's membership in the EU has zero value and threatens the country's national interests.