News - Armenia premier: If we hold referendum on joining EU, people will ask 'is the EU ready?'

Recently, we witnessed at the NA [i.e. the National Assembly of Armenia] a hearing on organizing a referendum on EU membership matter. They say: “let's hold a referendum, give an opportunity for the people to support that idea.” Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated this at the Armenian Forum for Democracy on Monday. "I myself, speaking from the rostrum of the European Parliament, announced that Armenia is ready to be close to the EU as much as the EU considers it possible. If I thought that the people of Armenia did not support that idea, I would not have made such a statement. Or if I had made such a statement in the conditions that the people of Armenia do not support that idea, I would not have been the prime minister of Armenia after that statement. What is the task now? Hold a referendum to find out the people's opinion? Sorry, as an official who is authorized to represent the people of Armenia, I know the opinion of the people of Armenia. Now to hold a referendum or not? What is the problem? If we have a referendum today, we have to campaign. When we go on a campaign, people will ask us questions, starting with how, when, how long, with what steps. Does the EU want it or not? They will tell me: ‘you announced that Armenia is ready to be as close as the EU is ready. Now a question is: how ready is the EU?’ I cannot answer that question today," said the Armenian PM. According to Pashinyan, processes are taking place in the EU as well and they need to evaluate it. "Elections are taking place in the EU, the results of which raise at least certain issues," the Armenian PM emphasized.