Armenia's parliament on Wednesday approved the first reading of a bill launching the country's bid to join the European Union, as the ex-Soviet state moves away from historical ally Russia.
The small Caucasus nation has deepened its ties with the West in recent years, while also accusing Moscow of failing to protect it against arch-foe Azerbaijan.
The text of the bill says: "Expressing the will of the people of Armenia, having set the task to make Armenia a safe, secure, developed country, Armenia announces the start of the EU accession process."
Sixty-three members in the 107-seat chamber voted "for", while seven deputies voted "against", paving the way for a second reading.
Bills typically need three readings before they become law.
Opposition factions boycotted the vote.
The Russian-leaning "I Have Honour" party accused government lawmakers of jeopardising the country's free trade with the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), a Russian-led economic bloc of several ex-Soviet states.
"This bill is yet another populist ploy from the current rulers aimed at creating unreasonable expectations," it said.
Russia on Wednesday said that Armenia continued to receive "dividends" from being a member of the EAEU.
"These dividends are beyond obvious," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
- Fraying ties with the Kremlin -
Ties between Yerevan and Moscow plummeted dramatically after 2023, when a lightning Azerbaijani offensive routed Armenian-backed separatists in Baku's Karabakh region.
Armenia accused Russia, which had almost 2,000 "peacekeeper" troops in the region, of doing nothing to prevent the fighting and the subsequent exodus of more than 100,000 Armenians from their homeland.
Four days after the offensive, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan told the nation in a televised address that Yerevan's current security alliances were "ineffective" and "insufficient".
In February 2024, he froze Armenia's participation in the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organisation, a defence grouping of several ex-Soviet states similar to NATO.
Yerevan also joined the International Criminal Court (ICC), against Moscow's wishes -- a move that obliges the country to arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin should he visit Armenia.
It has meanwhile forged closer ties with the European Union, announcing visa liberalisation talks with the bloc in September 2024 and deepening its defence ties with France.
In July 2024, it held military drills with US troops.
Russia has reacted with dismay to the moves, accusing Yerevan of trying to rupture ties.
Moscow ruled over the Caucasus region first during the Russian empire and then in the Soviet era.
Russia announced it was pulling its peacekeepers from Karabakh last year, and removing some troops and border guards from the Caucasus state.