Armenia was one of the countries preparing to sign an Association Agreement with the EU in 2013. By June 2013, all negotiations, including those concerning harmonization policy, had been completed. However, Russia opposed Armenia becoming signatory to the AA. After negotiations with Russia and following a large-scale arms trade deal between Azerbaijan and Russia, the Armenian president declared Armenia's willingness to join the Customs Union/Eurasian Economic Union. Nevertheless, Armenia declared its intention to continue negotiations with the EU and to proceed in that process as far as possible, while taking into consideration the changed circumstances. Armenia's preference was to sign only the ‘political ‘part of the AA, excluding its economic dimensions, but this arrangement was not agreed upon in 2013. Since then, there has been progress on visa facilitation issues, and Armenia has adopted a visa liberalization plan. In 2014, taking into consideration the objective and subjective rationales for Armenia's decision, the EU declared its willingness to continue working on integration policy and by the end of that year, the EU allocated €140-170 million for Armenia's reform and capacity building plan in 2014-2017. This funding will be spent on private sector development (35%), public administration reform (25%), justice sector reform (20%), and complementary support for capacity development and civil society (20%). In 2015, negotiations commenced once again. In May 2015, the president of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan, visited the Riga EU-EaP summit. He took part in all of the discussions, declaring ‘common understanding on the scope for a future agreement between the EU and Armenia’. Armenian officials hope to complete the negotiations by the end of 2015.
Local authorities have been represented at the EU level in the Conference of Regional and Local Authorities for Eastern Partnership (CORLEAP). Armenia also has a diplomatic representation in Brussels.​