The Armenian parliament’s passing of the bill on the start of Armenia’s accession process to the European Union (EU) does not mean that the country will immediately become an EU member. Arman Yeghoyan, an MP of the ruling majority Civil Contract Faction and Chair of the Standing Committee on European Integration of the National Assembly (NA) of Armenia, stated this at the NA briefings Thursday—and commenting on the respective reaction by Russian presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.

According to Yeghoyan, two of Armenia’s four neighbors are candidates for joining the EU; they are Georgia and Turkey. And in total, nine countries are candidates for possible membership in the EU.

“The passing by the country’s parliament of the draft law on the start of the process of the Republic of Armenia’s membership in the European Union means the beginning of the process of obtaining the status of a candidate for EU membership and is the subject of political negotiations,” explained the chairman of the aforesaid NA committee.

Yeghoyan added that the EU has adopted an enlargement policy, the details of which are being negotiated.