The Armenian government has initiated the process for the country's EU membership by passing a new bill.

The Armenian government approved the draft law "On the Initiation of the Process of the Republic of Armenia's Accession to the European Union" at a meeting on January 9. The issue was presented to the government by Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan.

News.am reports on this matter.

"The draft law on the initiation of Armenia's EU membership process was brought to the National Assembly for discussion as a civic initiative, and now the government must express its position," stated Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan.

Mirzoyan noted that he recommends a positive response to the draft law. He also pointed out that recently, Armenia and the EU have had quite intense and dynamic relations.

"They have been very rich and covered various areas. The EU has repeatedly expressed its strong political support for democracy in Armenia. The European Union is essentially involved in ensuring a security environment around Armenia. I mean the deployment of the EU civilian monitoring mission," said Mirzoyan.

The minister mentioned that the European Union has also expressed its readiness to support strengthening Armenia's economic resilience. In his opinion, the EU has very rich democratic traditions and strong democratic institutions. Furthermore, the European Union represents a free competitive environment with a modern economy.

"We have also seen signs that this is possible. I mean the beginning of visa regime liberalization and a number of other tools that have been applied or are being discussed with the EU," stated the Foreign Minister.

According to Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, the decision regarding Armenia's accession to the EU should be approved in a referendum. After the government adopts the draft law, it must also be voted on in parliament.

Background. Previously, Mind reported that The EU Council will allocate 10 million euros to support the Armed Forces of Armenia. The funds will be provided from the European Peace Facility. The EU Council emphasized that this is the first military assistance to Armenia from the European Union in history. It will allow the establishment of a full-fledged tent camp for a battalion-sized unit.