Since the 2018 Velvet Revolution, Armenia has been standing out as a good performer on reforms and over this period has repeatedly confirmed its track record with having free elections, democratic institutions and by showing a determination of making necessary judicial and anticorruption, electoral, media and transparency, rule of law and many other reforms that have been consistently supported by a vibrant civil society despite many disinformation campaigns and security challenges in the country.

With this track record Armenia is among the best scoring countries in the Eastern Europe and Central Asia region, having a best mark for significant improvements over the period of 2018 – 2022 according to 2022 Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index.

There are also many ongoing efforts, led by the democratic word leaders, to accomplish a process for sustainable peace and to allow Armenia and Azerbaijan to have good neighbourly relations and together to withstand the manipulative external interferences.

Having said all this, now is time for the EU to embrace these developments and start the preparations of granting the European perspective, which would allow proposing a comprehensive package of European integration reforms and an upgrade of Armenia’s contractual relationship with the EU. This would be to the benefit of all stakeholders and would show the EU’s leadership and serious efforts for a prosperous future of the South Caucasus region.

European perspective is not a new concept for the Brussels technocracy. It is part of the European integration process enjoyed by the Central and Eastern Europe and, later, by the Western Balkan countries.

At the 1993 European Council in Copenhagen, the Baltic countries were promised, if they will desire so, to become members of the EU. In 1995 they have applied for the membership and in 1997, together with the remaining countries from the Central and Eastern Europe, have started the accession process and opened the negotiations with a first group in 1997 and with a second in 1999. These countries over the same period have upgraded their contractual relationship with the EU and concluded the Europe Agreements, ordinary called as the Association Agreements.

The Western Balkan countries were given a prospect of full integration to the EU and new contractual relationship with the EU in 1999 at the Cologne European Council. This prospect gave an instrument of Stabilisation and Association process, political dialogue and liberalisation of trade and cooperation in Justice and Home Affairs at the Feira European Council in 2000. The Balkan countries became the potential candidates for EU membership.

This was defined as the European perspective at the Copenhagen European Council in 2002 and endorsed in 2003 by the Thessaloniki EU Summit with the Western Balkans. From then on, the European perspective meant that the Western Balkan countries will become an integral part of the EU once they meet the established criteria. The Thessaloniki Agenda for the Western Balkans has enriched Stabilisation and Association process as a framework for the accession of these countries to the EU.

Thus Armenia, and the EU, both have a unique opportunity to embark on a new road of the European integration. Granting of European perspective for Armenia can allow not only to upgrade its contractual relationship with the EU, but also set a comprehensive strategy for trade relations, reform support, political, economic and social cooperation, as well for an increase of investment support and technical assistance, all contractually bound by an overarching goal of the European integration.

European perspective could be a preferable architecture to increase a momentum for the EU, and Armenia, if well-planned for the next steps, as it was the case for the Central and Eastern countries, Eastern Partnership trio and the Western Balkan counties. 

One interesting remark there, the Eastern Partnership trio countries did receive the European perspective only after they have applied for EU membership, however, as we see there is also a process that begins with the European perspective before the application for EU membership is made. 

The European perspective can be a key process to the European integration under an upgraded contractual relationship with the EU. It may involve technical consultations on trade matters, planning of new investments into new infrastructure, higher industrial standards and better quality of life to all.

This would be a first step to a more intensive economic cooperation with many immediate to medium term benefits. It may also create a necessary level-playing field in the region. This perspective could bring more Europe to the region and would get the South Caucasus region much closer to Europe. It would also prove the European aspirations of the Armenian people. It would be an important step for Armenia closer to the European family.

The European Council may be invited to take a similar decision for Armenia, as it did in Thessaloniki or Copenhagen for the Western Balkans. The European Parliament would be ready to support it, as it has already made it clear in its latest resolution on enlargement.

As a first step, Armenia could suggest this approach to the EU institutions. This could be Prime Minister’s letter to the President of European Council expressing the willingness to have a process of the European perspective, which is also a wish of the Armenian people. This would show the readiness to start technical consultations for concluding of the next generation agreement and would also create a good momentum in the context of the most recent European Council decision to move forward with enlargement process for Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia.

The European perspective would be a good instrument to bind all the instruments for Armenia in one European folder and would open a new page of its political, security, economic, trade, investment, sectoral, social mobility, cultural relations with the EU. The new framework could be followed up by EU’s Support Group for Armenia to assist with the implementation and advice, financial and investment support for essential reform priorities.

Photo: @EP_President on X