Issue of Armenia`s membership in EU not yet on agenda - Czech  ambassador to RA 

ArmInfo.  Armenia's EU membership is not currently on the agenda, but only ways to bring us closer and deepen cooperation are being discussed. Petr Peruncik,  Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Czech Republic to  Armenia, stated this in an interview with Civilnet.

Nevertheless, he noted, it is clear to all responsible politicians  that there are principles that cannot be "separated." And being a  member of one organization (the EAEU - ed.), one cannot be part of  another. At the same time, we are not asking the question of choosing  between one or the other.  Our goal is to develop cooperation with  Armenia, and we hope that the country is also interested in deepening  relations with the EU. This is mutually beneficial cooperation in the  interests of both Armenia and the EU, not a choice between  alternatives. Nevertheless, he noted that the country will have to  make its choice at some point. However, this does not mean the EU  expects an immediate choice between the two associations. The  ambassador expressed the view that Armenia no longer has the same  specific security ties with Russia and the Czech Republic, which, as  an industrial country, has much to offer. He also emphasized that  Armenia's prospects for European integration will primarily depend on  Armenia's own concrete steps. In this regard, he mentioned the new  strategic partnership framework between Armenia and the EU, signed in  Brussels on December 2, 2025, which covers human rights, democracy,  economic cooperation, energy, and security. He explained that this  framework complements the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership  Agreement (CEPA). 

"Therefore, we have a plan for European integration for the next  three to four years. We expect cooperation based on the CEPA and the  Strategic Framework to deepen. Currently, Armenia's standard  accession procedures to the EU are not yet underway, but political  representatives of Armenia have repeatedly expressed their interest  in expanding and deepening cooperation with the European Union," the  ambassador added.

Peruncik also commented on the Armenian population's attitude toward  European integration.  According to the ambassador, there is a  perception that Armenians are insufficiently informed about the  nature of the EU, which may be due to a lack of interest in the  topic. However, he emphasized that this is not critical, as they see  an openness to learning from other countries' experiences and  implementing them in Armenia.

Regarding Armenia's visa liberalization with the EU, the ambassador  noted the existence of certain obstacles, for which recommendations  have been provided to the country. In this regard, he acknowledged  that there is no specific timeline for the introduction of a  visa-free regime yet, as there are issues that have not yet been  fully resolved in practice. "We see that Armenia is taking this issue  seriously, and therefore we believe that a visa-free regime will be  possible once all standards are met," he concluded.

As a reminder, the National Assembly of Armenia adopted the draft law  "On the commencement of the process of Armenia's accession to the  European Union" in the first reading at its plenary session on  February 12. Sixty-three deputies voted in favor of the document,  with seven against. The opposition, represented by the Armenia  faction, did not participate in the vote, while another opposition  faction, I Have the Honor, voted against. It's worth noting that the  country's opposition forces expressed doubts about this decision,  noting that Armenia risks being drawn into a futile process that  could harm its strategic interests.