Leading KISS expert: Activating the European track is a sovereign choice for the Armenian leadership

ArmInfo. Activating the European track is a sovereign choice of the Armenian leadership. On September 24, in a conversation with an ArmInfo correspondent on the sidelines of the APRI Armenia 2026 forum, Alisher Abdreshev, leading expert at the Department of European and American Studies at the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies (KISS), commented on Kazakhstan's position on Armenia's aspirations to join the European Union (EU).

"The position here is quite clear. Activating the European track is a sovereign choice of the Armenian leadership. We respect Yerevan's recent steps in terms of diversifying its foreign policy. Most recently, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced a new ideology for Armenia's positioning – the concept of 'Real Armenia.'" "And I think this is Armenia's own internal choice," the expert noted.

At the same time, as Abdreshev noted, from an expert perspective, it is important to evaluate the pros and cons for Armenia if it continues to maintain a complex dialogue with the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). According to him, it is currently difficult to imagine how Armenia, while remaining in the EAEU, will simultaneously pursue a course toward rapprochement and accession to the European Union. "So far, we, as experts, do not see how Armenia plans to balance these directions. But we cannot react to this negatively or in any other way. As I have already said, this is a matter of Armenia's national choice. Astana, in turn, will continue to develop relations with Yerevan regardless of its foreign policy transformation," the leading expert from the Institute of Strategic Studies (KISI) noted.

Overall, according to him, Armenia is currently in a very active phase of its foreign policy. "Many events are taking place around integration processes in the post-Soviet space. We also know that Armenia has suspended its participation in the CSTO. At the same time, we understand the rationale behind these decisions and understand Armenia's position. Of course, we will continue to support the work process and interaction with our Armenian colleagues, despite their desire to join other international organizations," Abdreshev concluded.

As a reminder, on January 9, 2025, the Armenian government approved a draft law on the start of the process of joining the European Union, proposed by the "Eurakve" civic initiative. The draft was sent to the Armenian parliament for approval. On March 26, the parliament adopted it in its final reading and sent it to the president for signature. The document was signed on April 4 of that year. Moscow stated that Russia had conveyed to Armenia that simultaneous membership in the Eurasian Economic Union and the European Union was impossible. On May 9, Russian President Vladimir Putin, speaking to journalists, suggested that Armenia decide on its membership in the EU and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) as soon as possible, expressing its readiness to "begin a civilized divorce" if necessary. Yerevan responded by stating that it would leave the EAEU when it deemed it necessary. And on May 29, the heads of state of four of the five EAEU member states adopted a resolution recommending that Armenia hold a referendum on its continued membership in the EAEU. That same day, the Russian president stated that Armenia could not afford to stagnate on both sides and needed to make a choice as soon as possible.