On February 29, Armenia's Parliament Speaker Alen Simonyan signaled the country's potential course towards joining the European Union and attaining candidate status.

Responding to inquiries from journalists regarding Armenia's willingness to deepen ties with the European Union and potentially pursue candidate status, Simonyan expressed openness to exploring this possibility. "We are prepared to and will proceed in the direction that offers us the highest level of security. Being a democratic nation is crucial to our security," Simonyan affirmed.

Furthermore, he clarified that the prospect of Armenia's NATO membership is not currently under consideration.

As previously reported by Caucasus Watch, Armenian National Assembly Speaker Alen Simonyan suggested that Russian border guards should leave Zvartnots airport, questioning their effectiveness in protecting Armenia's borders. He highlighted instances where he believed Russian peacekeepers had failed to safeguard Armenian interests, particularly during events in Nagorno-Karabakh. Simonyan expressed uncertainty about the legal basis for Russian soldiers' presence in Nerkin Hand, a site of recent Armenian-Azerbaijani clashes, emphasizing the need for clarification. He acknowledged the possibility of Russian forces overseeing certain regions during tense periods but stressed the importance of defining the legal framework for their presence.