Your trusted source

The pro-government majority in the Armenian National Assembly on Wednesday approved a bill seeking to launch the process of Armenia’s accession to the European Union.

A total of 63 MPs from the ruling Civil Contract faction voted for it. The opposition Pativ Unem and Hayastan factions voted against the bill or abstained.

Ahead of the vote, Hayastan MP Kristine Vardanyan dismissed the EU accession bid as unrealistic. "Dear citizens, we are discussing our participation in a wedding that has been canceled. In other words, we are merely creating the illusion of active engagement. It’s not the ‘bad’ opposition telling you the wedding is off, but rather the European Union itself," she said, addressing the parliament.

Vardanyan quoted the statement of MEP François-Xavier Bellamy, head of the EP-Armenia Friendship Group: "With all due respect to the Armenian people, we must be honest about this issue. The first thing Armenians should know is that the process of European expansion has stalled. There has been no enlargement for a long time."

"A year ago, we debated Armenia’s accession to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) at this hall. At the time, we explained that it did not serve Armenia's interests, but you insisted it was necessary to hold Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev accountable. Meanwhile, behind the scenes, you were negotiating with Aliyev to withdraw lawsuits against Azerbaijan from international courts," Vardanyan emphasized.

She also claimed the Armenian authorities did not meet European standards, accusing them of disregard for human rights. "No one is held accountable for calling the people 'scumbags'," she added.