Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan has said that the country’s relations with the EU are at their ‘historically highest level’, pledging that 2026 will mark a decisive year in Yerevan’s drive for EU membership.
‘Relations between the Republic of Armenia and the European Union have never been as comprehensive and close as they are now’, Mirzoyan told parliament on 27 October during hearings on the 2026 state budget. He cited the deepening political dialogue, frequent high-level visits, and agreements signed throughout 2025 as evidence of what he called a ‘new stage of partnership’.
Mirzoyan said that the law recently passed by Armenia’s Parliament formally launched the country’s accession process to the EU.
‘This policy is imperative for the government, and especially for the Foreign Ministry’, Mirzoyan said. ‘We must intensify our efforts toward membership in 2026. Armenia aspires to join the family of democratic, developing, and prosperous nations’.
He added that the ongoing visa liberalisation talks between Armenia and the EU are progressing ‘quite quickly’, noting that the process is moving ‘faster than in many other countries’.
‘I hope that in the near future, we will have an agreed plan of action, after which we will only need to complete the necessary technical work’, he said.
Mirzoyan stressed that Armenia would continue a ‘balanced and balancing’ foreign policy even as it deepens ties with Brussels. He also highlighted strong relations with Iran, calling them ‘excellent and strategic’, and said that cooperation with the US remains active, including on the US-brokered Trump Route (TRIPP) infrastructure project. Mirzoyan spoke only briefly about Russia, saying that it remains a ‘close partner’ for Armenia.
Humanitarian issues with Azerbaijan remain unresolved
Despite the progress toward peace with Azerbaijan, Mirzoyan said several humanitarian and political issues remain unresolved, particularly the fate of Armenian prisoners still held in Baku.
‘When we talk about the institutionalisation of peace, we must acknowledge that there are still complex, unresolved issues — and the return of captives is among them’, he told lawmakers. He described the issue as ‘a major obstacle’ to lasting reconciliation and ‘an expression of the distrust and enmity that have marked relations for decades’.
Among those imprisoned in Azerbaijan are several former leaders of Nagorno-Karabakh — ex-Presidents Arkady Ghukasyan, Bako Sahakyan, and Arayik Harutyunyan, former Parliamentary Speaker Davit Ishkhanyan, former Foreign Minister Davit Babayan, and former State Minister and philanthropist Ruben Vardanyan, co-founder of the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative.
All were detained during or after Azerbaijan’s September 2023 offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh, as the region’s Armenian population fled to Armenia.
‘Believing in the necessity of forming a peaceful and cooperative atmosphere around the Republic of Armenia, we will persistently work towards resolving all issues step by step’, Mirzoyan concluded.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan reiterated earlier in September that his government continues to work ‘on a daily basis’ for the release of Armenian prisoners still held in Azerbaijan.
OC Media
Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan has said that the country’s relations with the EU are at their ‘historically highest level’, pledging that 2026 will mark a decisive year in Yerevan’s drive for EU membership.
‘Relations between the Republic of Armenia and the European Union have never been as comprehensive and close as they are now’, Mirzoyan told parliament on 27 October during hearings on the 2026 state budget. He cited the deepening political dialogue, frequent high-level visits, and agreements signed throughout 2025 as evidence of what he called a ‘new stage of partnership’.
Mirzoyan said that the law recently passed by Armenia’s Parliament formally launched the country’s accession process to the EU.
‘This policy is imperative for the government, and especially for the Foreign Ministry’, Mirzoyan said. ‘We must intensify our efforts toward membership in 2026. Armenia aspires to join the family of democratic, developing, and prosperous nations’.
He added that the ongoing visa liberalisation talks between Armenia and the EU are progressing ‘quite quickly’, noting that the process is moving ‘faster than in many other countries’.
‘I hope that in the near future, we will have an agreed plan of action, after which we will only need to complete the necessary technical work’, he said.
Mirzoyan stressed that Armenia would continue a ‘balanced and balancing’ foreign policy even as it deepens ties with Brussels. He also highlighted strong relations with Iran, calling them ‘excellent and strategic’, and said that cooperation with the US remains active, including on the US-brokered Trump Route (TRIPP) infrastructure project. Mirzoyan spoke only briefly about Russia, saying that it remains a ‘close partner’ for Armenia.
Humanitarian issues with Azerbaijan remain unresolved
Despite the progress toward peace with Azerbaijan, Mirzoyan said several humanitarian and political issues remain unresolved, particularly the fate of Armenian prisoners still held in Baku.
‘When we talk about the institutionalisation of peace, we must acknowledge that there are still complex, unresolved issues — and the return of captives is among them’, he told lawmakers. He described the issue as ‘a major obstacle’ to lasting reconciliation and ‘an expression of the distrust and enmity that have marked relations for decades’.
Among those imprisoned in Azerbaijan are several former leaders of Nagorno-Karabakh — ex-Presidents Arkady Ghukasyan, Bako Sahakyan, and Arayik Harutyunyan, former Parliamentary Speaker Davit Ishkhanyan, former Foreign Minister Davit Babayan, and former State Minister and philanthropist Ruben Vardanyan, co-founder of the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative.
All were detained during or after Azerbaijan’s September 2023 offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh, as the region’s Armenian population fled to Armenia.
‘Believing in the necessity of forming a peaceful and cooperative atmosphere around the Republic of Armenia, we will persistently work towards resolving all issues step by step’, Mirzoyan concluded.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan reiterated earlier in September that his government continues to work ‘on a daily basis’ for the release of Armenian prisoners still held in Azerbaijan.
OC Media
