Armenia's leader, Pashinyan, affirms plans to maintain and not escalate or sever ties with Russia.
Looking at the current state of Armenia and Russia's relationship, it's clear that things are complicated yet hold promise. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan made it crystal clear at a recent press conference in Tallinn that Armenia isn't looking to stir up trouble or cut ties with the mighty Russian bear. Instead, he wants to build relationships on shared interests.
Pashinyan hasn't been shy about addressing the elephant in the room - the differences between Armenia and Russia regarding Armenia's approach towards the European Union. Russia has expressed some apprehensions about this, and Armenia isn't blind to these concerns. But fear not, as Pashinyan assured that dialogue will continue, and bilateral cooperation is on the horizon.
If we delve a bit deeper, we see that relations took a hit post-2022 due to the CSTO's unwillingness to criticize Azerbaijan's military actions against Armenia, culminating in ethnic cleansing of Nagorno-Karabakh in 2023. While Armenia has partly distanced itself from the CSTO and criticized the Russian peacekeeping military's performance, Pashinyan is adamant about keeping the dialogue going.
Russia, in response, is increasing its cultural influence in Armenia to counterbalance Yerevan's growing ties with Western powers. It seems that Armenia is striving to diversify its partnerships, with the EU and US being among them, while maintaining diplomacy and cultural ties with Russia. Pashinyan's government appears to be aiming for pragmatic cooperation with Russia but will likely resist falling into the trap of perceived over-reliance, especially on security matters.
In a nutshell, it seems like Pashinyan's rhetoric points towards a slide towards a more balanced approach, a recalibration rather than a rupture. Armenia is focusing on its sovereignty and embracing a multi-vector foreign policy, all while keeping the lines of communication with Russia open. As regional dynamics shift with Azerbaijan's Western outreach and Armenia's peace treaty negotiations, Russia is likely to bolster its soft power in the region, though its geopolitical influence has seen a slight decline.
- Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated his intention to build relations with Russia on shared interests, during a press conference in Tallinn.
- In regard to Armenia's policy-and-legislation towards the European Union, Pashinyan addressed the differences, admitting that Russia has expressed apprehensions and acknowledging Armenia isn't blind to these concerns.
- Despite strained relations following the CSTO's unwillingness to criticize Azerbaijan's military actions against Armenia in 2023, Pashinyan has indicated his intention to keep the dialogue with Russia going.
- Russia's response to Armenia's growing ties with Western powers has been increasing its cultural influence in Armenia, a move that reflects Pashinyan's government's aim for pragmatic cooperation while resisting perceived over-reliance.
