On March 9th of 2024, the Armenian foreign minister, Ararat Mirzoyan, claimed that his nation is considering applying for European Union membership in the coming year. This would be in line with recent policy within the capital city of Yerevan which has been distancing the nation from Russia’s looming influence. Foreign minister Mirzoyan expressed to Turkey’s TRT World Television that “Many new opportunities are largely being discussed in Armenia nowadays, and it will not be a secret if I say [there is] an idea that includes membership in the European Union”. With Armenia leaning towards the influence of the west and further from Russia, what is the main root cause for this change in foreign policy?
Armenia’s current government which has been in power since 2018, has been spearheading the current efforts for greater ties with the west. This is mainly due to the recent security concerns that have arisen in Armenia. Concerns of which come a lack of Russian military and political support in-part due to their invasion of Ukraine.This has caused a rise in tensions between Armenia and the neighboring country of Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh region; which is under Azerbaijani rule but is made up of ethnic Armenians. The Nagorno-Karabakh region has been a source of tension between the two nations ever since independence in 1991, this had not been an issue for Armenia’s foreign policy due to being backed by Russia, but since the Invasion of Ukraine, Russia has backed off due to a limited military capability. This sudden abandonment soured relations between Russia and Armenia and has been a key factor on why the current government is spearheading a shift to greater ties with Europe.
Russia’s inability to effectively secure Armenia’s claims to the region would be the main reason for the souring of ties between the two countries. Armenia’s ambitions for joining the European Union would allow for its citizens to gain EU citizenship, enabling them to live and work freely in most-all EU countries. However, only time can tell whether or not Armenia’s calls to join the union will be answered.