Armenian Parliament Speaker Alen Simonyan said Armenia should “definitely” become a member of the European Union.
We are ready and we will go in the direction that will bring us maximum security. Today, we can say that democracy, being a democratic country, is our greatest security system,” Mr. Simonyan said.
Although Simonyan did not say whether Armenia would formally apply for EU membership, Armenia has sought to establish closer diplomatic and security ties with the European Union and the West. , while its relations with Russia are in free fall.
Last month, the EU announced it was launching an “ambitious” partnership program with Armenia, which includes visa liberalization, trade and security cooperation. In October 2023, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian told the European Parliament that Armenia was ready to move closer to the European Union, “to the extent that the European Union deems it possible.”
During the briefing, Simonyan also criticized the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), a Russian-led security bloc to which Armenia is a party, calling it an organization that ” does not work “.
This criticism of the CSTO comes a week after Pashinian told France 24 that Armenia had “essentially frozen” its participation in the CSTO because of its refusal to defend Armenia against attacks. Azerbaijanis on the border.
Although Armenia has not officially left the organization, Mr. Simonyan did not rule out his country leaving the CSTO, because “with more than a dozen episodes, it has become clear that our ally Don’t help us.”
Armenia has recently diversified its security partners, purchasing weapons and defense systems from France and India.
Mr Simonyan also accused Russia of collaborating with Turkey and Azerbaijan, suggesting the three countries could have agreed on military action before the 2020 war.
Mr. Simonyan expressed concern about the possibility of a new escalation coordinated in advance.
Our biggest concern is where the attack will come from. It is obvious that this attack is carried out by Azerbaijan and is directed against our sovereignty,” Simonyan said.
This article is originally published on armenews.com
