Desire is not enough, the EU must decide on enlargement: Pashinyan in an interview with RFI

Armenia's accession to the European Union is only one of the possible scenarios, since the country's desire to become an EU member is not enough to resolve this issue.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said this in an interview with Radio France Internationale (RFI).

"Armenia's desire alone is not enough to resolve the issue: the European Union itself must also decide whether it considers further enlargement expedient or not," the prime minister noted, drawing attention to the fact that even today different opinions on this matter are voiced in the EU.

He added that the government's strategic goal is not whether Armenia should join the European Union or not, but to create, in principle, alternatives for the country and its people that were lacking earlier.

"The goal is to offer alternatives, and then society will be able to decide whether Armenia remains in the EAEU, whether it wants to join the EU, or does not want to be part of either union. In any case, we will come out as winners, because by carrying out reforms we will ultimately get a state fully compliant with European standards," Pashinyan added.

At the same time, the Armenian prime minister reiterated that Armenia does not want a deterioration of relations with Russia: "Our goals have not included, do not include and will not include a rupture or deterioration of relations with the Russian Federation."

Source: Sputnik Armenia