Relations with Russia are no longer exclusive. Pashinyan is part of the new direction

Armenia officially adopted a multi-vector foreign policy, putting an end to the era of lack of political alternatives in the international arena. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced during the July 30 briefing that Yerevan has signed strategic partnership documents with a number of countries, including China, the USA, Great Britain, the Netherlands and France.

According to the head of the government, Moscow sees a problem in this diversification, guided by the approach that relations should be either exclusive or non-existent. Yerevan considers this position unacceptable, insisting on its legitimate right to develop relations with all partners.

Responding to doubts about Armenia’s reliability as a political ally, Pashinyan recalled the events of 2020. He emphasized that the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and the Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh did not fulfill their direct functions, despite the fact that the Armenian side did not give any reason for such attitude.

The Prime Minister also responded harshly to the rhetoric of the President of Belarus on who needs Armenia. Pashinyan noted that the sovereign state is demanded by global and regional key players, particularly the EU, USA, China, Iran and Georgia.

During the briefing, the subject of a possible referendum on Armenia’s membership in the European Union was also touched upon. Commenting on the May 29 statement of the heads of the four EAEU countries in support of this initiative, Pashinyan expressed respect for their position, but noted that there is still no substantive discussion.

He clarified that in order to hold such a referendum, Armenia must at least submit an official application for EU membership or receive candidate status, so that putting the issue to a popular vote becomes a logical step.

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