YEREVAN, Jan. 14 (Xinhua) -- Armenia "unequivocally" and "unconditionally" seeks full membership in the European Union (EU), Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Wednesday, quoted by Armenpress.
Speaking at a security forum in the Armenian capital, Pashinyan emphasized that Armenia is pursuing a path of transformation to align itself with EU standards.
"Do we want to become a full member of the European Union? Yes, unequivocally and unconditionally," he said, adding that Armenia's strategy is to pursue a "very firm and clear" course toward full compliance with EU standards.
No country is admitted to the EU only for geopolitical reasons, while EU membership requires meeting stringent objective criteria, and a candidate nation must align with at least 97 to 99 percent of the bloc's standards before a political decision on admission can be made, Pashinyan said.
He said the EU may choose either to continue expanding or to halt enlargement, and Armenia would benefit regardless of the outcome.
"In both cases, Armenia wins -- either by becoming a full member of the EU or by becoming a modern state that meets European standards," Pashinyan said.
In January last year, Armenia's cabinet approved a bill to launch the country's EU accession process. ■