What are Armenia’s chances for EU membership, given that some member states do not support enlargement?
In response to this question from journalists, EU Enlargement Commissioner Martha Kos said:
“The EU has 27 member states. They are interested in neighborhood and enlargement. We conducted a survey: 56 percent of the EU population spoke in favor of enlargement, while 23 percent were undecided. Importantly, this level of support is higher than it was several years ago.”
According to her, attitudes toward enlargement are different now than they were 10 years ago, and even compared to last December, the dynamics have shifted.
The Commissioner emphasized that peace efforts between Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well as the ongoing war in Ukraine, frame today’s discussions about enlargement:
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“This is the first time we are negotiating with a country at war; nothing like this has happened before. It is the first enlargement process taking place under such conditions, when external destabilizing forces are trying to stop us. And do you know why this is happening? Because Europe is a peace project, and enlargement is an important tool for promoting peace. We are not enlarging to gain more territory or increase population, but to ensure peace. Peace is at the very heart of the EU. Europe is a peace project, and we cannot ensure peace without security.”
Turning to Armenia, Martha Kos highlighted the following:
“Our relations are closer than ever. We have an EU–Armenia partnership agreement, and we will soon launch a new partnership agenda, now in its final stages. Last year we began the process of visa liberalization, which is much more than simply granting Armenian citizens access to the EU. It is about data and border management — knowing who enters and who leaves Armenia. We are ready to support this. The third pillar of our successful cooperation is the Growth and Resilience program, totaling €270 million.”
More details in the video.
Tatev Harutyunyan
