AZE.US
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said after casting his ballot in the country’s parliamentary election that he saw no crisis in relations with Russia, accusing domestic political forces of trying to create artificial tension between Yerevan and Moscow.
“I do not see any tension. It is artificial tension,” Pashinyan told reporters, according to ArmenPress. “Our relations with Russia are institutional and based on mutual respect.”
He said attempts by some political groups in Armenia to portray bilateral ties as being in crisis had failed.
Pashinyan also addressed Moscow’s warnings that Armenia cannot move toward European Union membership while remaining part of the Eurasian Economic Union.
He said Armenia could not be expelled from the EAEU without its consent because the organization operates by consensus.
“Armenia has the right of veto, just like every other member state,” he said.
Pashinyan added that a referendum on choosing between the EU and the EAEU could be held only when there was a concrete question to put before voters. Armenia has not formally applied for EU membership and has not received candidate status.
“At this point, we have neither,” he said. “We understand objectively that we are not ready for that status. We need to carry out reforms, and we will calmly continue along the path of reform.”
The prime minister said he did not intend to make the choice between the two blocs on behalf of the country. His task, he said, was to give Armenian citizens the opportunity to decide through a vote.
He also argued that Armenia’s EAEU partners were taking the wrong tactical approach by pressing Yerevan to make an immediate choice.
Parliamentary elections are being held in Armenia on June 7. A total of 18 political forces, including 16 parties and two party alliances, are competing for seats in the ninth National Assembly.
Political parties must win at least 4% of the vote to enter parliament. The threshold is 8% for a two-party bloc and 10% for an alliance of more than two parties.
Russia increased pressure on Pashinyan’s government ahead of the vote. On June 6, Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev said the election could not be considered legitimate without the participation of several of Pashinyan’s opponents.
Tensions over Armenia’s foreign policy have grown since parliament approved legislation in early 2025 launching a process of European integration.
Moscow has repeatedly said that EU membership would be incompatible with participation in the EAEU customs system. Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that Armenia’s shift to EU standards could force Moscow to dismantle much of the two countries’ economic cooperation within the Eurasian bloc.
At the same time, Putin has said Russia would seek to maintain normal relations with Armenia regardless of the path chosen by Yerevan.
AZE.US