Armenia’s June 7 parliamentary election has become a vote on Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s efforts to normalize relations with Turkey through border openings, railway links and direct trade after decades of conflict tied to Nagorno-Karabakh.
The outcome of the election could shape not only Armenia’s political future but also regional transport projects and Yerevan’s efforts to reduce its dependence on Russia and deepen ties with Western countries.
The normalization process gained momentum this month after Pashinyan announced that a railway connection to Turkey through Georgia had reopened for Armenian imports and exports, calling it “a major development” for the country’s economy.
Turkey’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Öncü Keçeli also said Ankara had completed technical preparations for direct trade with Armenia as part of the normalization process launched in 2022. He added that technical work on reopening the shared border was continuing.
Pashinyan later said Armenia would begin renovating the Gyumri-Akhurik-Akyaka railway line linking the country to Turkey, which had already started on the Turkish side.
The Armenian leader has presented the projects as part of a broader effort to reopen Armenia’s closed borders and connect the country to regional trade routes after years of isolation.
Turkey closed its border with Armenia in 1993 during the First Karabakh War in support of Azerbaijan, its close ally and political partner. Relations between Ankara and Yerevan have remained frozen for decades despite several failed attempts at normalization.
Pashinyan and his Civil Contract Party have centered their campaign on promises of peace, economic development and regional connectivity, arguing that Armenia’s security can no longer depend only on Russia.
His government has increasingly showed normalization with Turkey and Azerbaijan as necessary for Armenia’s economic future and its long-term stability after Azerbaijan regained control of Nagorno-Karabakh in 2023.
The Azerbaijani offensive ended three decades of Armenian separatist rule in the region and triggered the departure of more than 100,000 ethnic Armenians, which deepened political divisions inside Armenia.
Pashinyan has since argued that Armenia should focus on the internationally recognized borders of the modern Armenian republic rather than historical nationalist claims tied to territories in eastern Turkey sometimes described by Armenian nationalists as “Western Armenia.”
The shift has drawn criticism from opposition groups, former leaders and parts of the Armenian diaspora, who accuse Pashinyan of making concessions to Azerbaijan and Turkey at the expense of Armenian national identity and security.
Former president Robert Kocharyan and other opposition figures have campaigned against Pashinyan’s normalization policies, arguing that closer ties with Turkey and Azerbaijan could leave Armenia more vulnerable while weakening relations with Russia, the country’s traditional security partner.
Some opposition parties have also called for restoring closer ties with Moscow and slowing Armenia’s growing cooperation with Western countries.
The campaign period has exposed deep tensions inside Armenia, with protests, arrests and confrontations involving opposition supporters, ethnic Armenians who fled Nagorno-Karabakh after Azerbaijan’s 2023 offensive and other critics of Pashinyan.
During a recent campaign event in Yerevan, protesters confronted Pashinyan over the 2020 Karabakh War and accused him of betraying the country. Human rights groups and election observers later criticized several detentions linked to campaign events and called for independent investigations.
Tensions also rose last month after demonstrators burned a Turkish flag during a march in Yerevan. Pashinyan condemned the act as a “provocation.”
Despite the backlash, opinion polls still place Pashinyan ahead of his rivals, although surveys suggest many voters remain undecided.
Recent polling cited by Armenian media outlets shows support for Civil Contract ranging between roughly 25 and 32 percent, while opposition parties remain fragmented among several competing alliances and smaller parties.
The election is also being closely watched by foreign governments.
The United States and the European Union largely view Pashinyan as a partner who could advance peace talks with Azerbaijan and help reduce Russian influence in the South Caucasus.
Meanwhile Russia has viewed Armenia’s growing ties with the West with suspicion. Moscow still retains significant influence over Armenia’s energy sector, trade and security institutions despite increasingly strained relations with Pashinyan’s government.
Turkey has supported the normalization process but has coordinated its approach closely with Azerbaijan, whose alliance with Ankara remains central to regional diplomacy.
The June 7 vote is widely seen as a decision on whether Armenia will continue efforts to reopen borders and transport links with Turkey or move back toward a more nationalist and Russia-oriented political course.
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