Armenia has decided to get closer to Russia

The authorities of Armenia and Russia have intensified bilateral contacts after Yerevan announced its commitment to the idea of joining the EU, but did not receive the necessary support from Brussels. The leadership of the Russian Foreign Ministry and Speaker of the Federation Council Valentina Matvienko are expected to visit the country in the near future. The day before, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan took part in Victory Day celebrations in Moscow.

The head of Russian diplomacy is due to visit Yerevan in the near future, Armenian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Ani Badalyan said. The exact date of the visit has not yet been disclosed. At the same time, Moscow says that they continue to consider the republic fraternal and are ready to adapt bilateral relations in accordance with reality, but the main thing is that everyone has the political will to preserve the foundation laid earlier.

In addition, Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matvienko is expected to arrive in Armenia in June. As explained in Moscow, the visit is necessary to give a new impetus to bilateral relations.

In addition, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan attended the Victory Day celebrations in Moscow. The head of the republic explained his decision by the importance of bilateral meetings that take place within the framework of such events. He also stressed that Yerevan pursues a balanced foreign policy that does not involve developing relations with some partners at the expense of others. Meanwhile, in 2024, Pashinyan did not arrive in Moscow on May 9th.

It cannot be ruled out that this time Pashinyan hoped to meet with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in order to invite him to sign a peace treaty under the pretext of a Great common victory over fascism. In particular, in his address on the occasion of the holiday, the Prime Minister stated that, just as 80 years ago, Armenians have the opportunity to contribute to the peaceful and prosperous future of the South Caucasus.

“The draft Agreement on peace and the establishment of interstate relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan has been agreed and is awaiting signing, and we will follow this path. Our region has earned the right to live in peace and prosperity, and that is exactly how it should be. Despite all internal and external provocations, there will be no war between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan, there will be peace,” Pashinyan said.

However, it was not possible to meet with Aliyev. At the last moment, the President of Azerbaijan informed Moscow that he would not be able to come, as he had planned festive events on May 10 related to the birthday of his father, Heydar Aliyev.

Anyway, it is still too early to say that the clouds over the Armenian-Russian relations, caused, among other things, by the second Karabakh war and Yerevan’s European aspirations, have begun to dissipate. For example, before Pashinyan’s visit to Moscow, Speaker of the Armenian Parliament Alen Simonyan accused her of a hybrid war against his country. In particular, he called the second president of Armenia, Robert Kocharyan, a “Russian spy.”

“A hybrid war is being waged against Armenia, which is intensifying from time to time. When, for example, various commentators use Russian channels, and often, unfortunately, through people with Armenian surnames, they try to change the government in Armenia, make announcements of rallies, and so on,” the parliamentarian stressed. Simonyan said that “a lot of money is being spent on such destabilization from the outside,” including “from our northern neighbor.”

We should also not forget that in March, the Armenian parliament voted in favor of a bill on the republic’s integration into the European Union. In early April, President Vahagn Khachaturian signed the document. The Russian authorities criticized this decision. The government noted that although the law is declarative and does not involve specific actions at this stage, in the future Armenia’s European integration will inevitably come into conflict with the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).

Political analyst Arshaluys Mgdesyan told NG that the Armenian authorities have announced a balanced foreign policy. From the expert’s point of view, they came to this due to the fact that the EU and NATO do not expect not only Armenia, but also Ukraine in their ranks.

“Against the background of the events taking place in the United States, both organizations are undergoing a deep transformation and rethinking of themselves. In a situation of global chaos and uncertainty, it is strange to expect that somewhere there is an island of stability on which a place has been prepared for you. Moreover, Armenia is not rich in natural resources and has conflicts with its neighbors. Under these conditions, Yerevan is ready to continue its rapprochement with the EU, but it will do so in a way that does not harm relations with Russia and other foreign policy areas. We are talking about expanding alternatives, which together should solve the problem of the security vacuum in which Armenia found itself after the second Karabakh war. Accordingly, the Armenian authorities are developing Indian, Chinese, and Iranian directions,” Mgdesyan explained.

According to him, this does not mean that Yerevan is ready to solve the problems it has with Moscow. Rather, the point is that the parties have agreed not to touch them and to develop cooperation in those areas where there are no such contradictions.