Pashinyan’s Moscow visit signals potential shift in Armenia’s foreign policy

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s surprise appearance at the May 9 Victory Day parade in Moscow has sparked speculation over a recalibration of Yerevan’s foreign policy, amid cooling ties with Russia and limited Western support.

Moscow has softened its rhetoric toward Armenia since appointing Sergey Kiriyenko as the Kremlin’s point man on Armenian affairs, indicating a pragmatic approach of engaging with Pashinyan rather than seeking regime change.

The move drew criticism from pro-Russian factions in Armenia, who see it as the Kremlin abandoning efforts to revive the Kocharyan-Sargsyan political bloc. While Pashinyan did not meet President Vladimir Putin officially, the two briefly interacted at the Kremlin reception.

Upcoming visits by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko to Yerevan are viewed as steps to reinforce Russia’s influence, as Armenia moves toward what its leadership calls a “balanced foreign policy.”

N.Tebrizli