Armenia will step up its efforts toward membership in the European Union in 2026, Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said in parliament on Monday.

"Relations between [...] Armenia and the European Union have never been as comprehensive and close as they are now," Mirzoyan told lawmakers. "We must intensify our efforts toward membership in 2026.

Armenia aspires to join the family of democratic, developing and prosperous countries."

Mirzoyan pointed to recent high-level visits and deeper political dialogue with Brussels as signals of a new stage in cooperation. He added that a law adopted earlier this year, which launches the process of Armenia's accession to the EU, represents a foundational step in this policy.

The push for closer relations with Europe has accelerated over the past year, as the government frames EU integration as a strategic path for Armenia's democratic and economic development. At the same time, Mirzoyan said Armenia will maintain a "balanced and measured" foreign policy while advancing its European aspirations.

Armenia and the EU are currently negotiating solutions that would allow Armenian nationals to travel to the bloc without visas. Armenia has not yet submitted a formal application to join the EU, and once it does, accession talks could take years or even decades. For now, relations and cooperation are governed by the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement, signed in 2019, which covers political and economic sectors and aims to gradually align Armenian laws and regulations with EU standards.