The matters of going or not going the EU are decided by the people—and with their participation. Our task at this phase is to form an alternative. When that alternative is realistically formed—that is, the developments will go like that, the time will also come for the people to express their position. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated this in his remarks during the MPs’ question-and-answer session with the government in the National Assembly of Armenia on Wednesday, addressing the question of whether the Armenian government was ultimately moving towards European Union (EU) membership or simply wanting to leave such an impression.

Regarding the fact that during his recent meeting with the Russian president in Bishkek, the Armenian premier had announced that Armenia had passed the law on the start of the country’s EU membership, preventing a respective referendum, Pashinyan said: “At the moment, relations between Armenia and the EU are at their highest point and processes are already taking place right now, including the visa liberalization process. Yesterday, the European Parliament adopted the decision to establish a preferential customs regime in connection with the import of Armenia’s goods.

As long as our people have given that mandate, we will move that process forward.” “As for the [respective] pace and steps, someone may consider that this is a normal pace and normal steps, but someone else may disagree with it. This is our pace, our speed, our thinking of the right speed. We are not holding a referendum at this time, because there is no subject for a referendum at this time.

We will form the alternative and delegate the matter to the people. When that point comes, those who are in favor of that option will call for a vote for it; those who will be against [it] will make such a call. Our task is to mature the matter,” the Armenian premier added.