August 5, 2026
The Armenian Parliament started working with a new political composition on August 2, almost 2 months after the elections. The Central Electoral Commission of Armenia has officially summarized and distributed the mandates of the National Assembly, thus completing the electoral process. Nikol Pashinyan was re-elected as Prime Minister.
Moreover, the leaders of Russia and China did not send public congratulatory messages to Nikol Pashinyan. «Civil contract» to the party leader on his election victory, although similar congratulations were sent in 2018 and 2021. Usually, congratulations of this level are considered not only as a ceremonial necessity, but also as a political impulse in the context of bilateral relations. Apparently, the silence should be understood as a diplomatic gesture, especially considering the role of Russia and China in Armenia’s foreign policy agenda. The works of the National Assembly of Armenia of this convocation also took place without the blessing of the Catholicos of All Armenians.
As for Russia, immediately after the elections in Armenia, the press secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov warned that Moscow will express its attitude towards them after the announcement of the final results. “For now, we are carefully recording all the messages that appear around these elections. Among them, we also record the messages about the many violations that took place during these elections,” the representative of the Kremlin clarified.
More is tough to express Dmitry Medvedev, the former president of the Russian Federation and currently the vice-chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation. «RA Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s attempts to eliminate his rivals on the eve of the parliamentary elections make the voting illegitimate»:
It was expected that after the elections in Armenia, the burning of passions would subside. However, the situation, on the contrary, has worsened. In response to opposition forces not recognizing the election results, the government unleashed a large-scale campaign of political repression. In the period that passed after the elections, the CEC of Armenia satisfied the request of the Prosecutor General’s Office to deprive former President Robert Kocharyan of his immunity from immunity and initiate (initiate) a criminal case against him. They blocked his departure from the country.
Samvel Karapetyan, the leader of the “Strong Armenia” alliance under investigation, which also entered the parliament (29 mandates), said that a total of 760 members of his political organization were persecuted under various pretexts.
Avetik Chalabyan, coordinator of “HayaVote” public movement, Andranik Tevanyan, leader of “Mother Armenia” party (“Mother Armenia” merged with “Prosperous Armenia” party (PAP) to participate in the elections), Aregnaz Manukyan, a member of “Prosperous Armenia” party, were arrested. The criminal prosecution against PAP leader Gagik Tsarukyan began two days after the end of the parliamentary elections, on June 9, when he announced that his party’s votes were “miscalculated” (deceived) due to his refusal to play the role of a “pocket” opposition in the parliament. The point is that, after Tsarukyan’s resignation, the CEC adjusted (changed) the number of votes received by the party so that it could not overcome the 4% barrier necessary to enter the parliament.
On the morning of July 6, on the day of his visit to Yekaterinburg to meet with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin within the framework of the “Innoprom-2026” international industrial exhibition, Nikol Pashinyan issued an order to suspend the activities of almost all companies of the “Multi Group” concern, including the “Araratcement” factory, whose owner is Tsarukyan. Large-scale searches were conducted in the companies of this concern, as well as in the apartments of their directors and Tsarukyan’s house itself. The investigative committee of the Republic has confirmed that searches are being carried out simultaneously at more than 70 addresses related to Tsarukyan and his companies. The employees of his “Multi Stone” factory went out into the street. They demanded an explanation as to why the workshops and warehouses for finished products were sealed, stating that they had nothing to pay for utilities and feed the children. Tsarukyan himself, being in the investigative isolation cell, accused the authorities of hitting the economy.
The actions against Tsarukyan on the day of Pashinyan’s visit to Russia can hardly be considered a coincidence. According to Armenian analysts, the Prime Minister hoped to “improve his negotiating position” in this way. According to them, “Pashinyan decided to take Tsarukyan hostage in order to bargain with Russia”, for example, in exchange for opening the Russian market for Armenian products.
Another subject of blackmail, the Prime Minister of Armenia recently chose the “South Caucasian Railway”, the infrastructure of which was handed over to the 100-percent daughter of Russian Railways under the concession agreement until 2038, and threatened Demand 2 billion dollars from Russia for this concession։
Political scientists agree that Moscow has invested too many resources in the Armenian economy to simply turn a blind eye to attempts to nationalize joint ventures. We are talking about railways, trade projects and the strategic North-South transport corridor. Russia has every right to protect its investments. If Yerevan decides to finally break off relations, it will have to raise the issue of compensation. The Armenian leadership, showing loyalty to the West, risks losing the privileges it received almost for free.
It is not the first time that the Prime Minister of Armenia plays a double game. Apparently, he wanted to repeat the combination when he organized a summit of the European political community in Yerevan in early May and arrived in Moscow almost simultaneously for a meeting with the Russian president. However this time, the Kremlin did not grant him the high-level meeting he had promised his voters immediately after the election. Had to get to a meeting with Prime Minister Mishustin, which he made public admitted:
The Prime Minister of Armenia reconciled with the lowering of the status of the negotiations. The point is that in Armenia the prime minister is the de facto head of state, and in Russia the head of state is the president. V. V. Putin met N.V. quite often. with Pashinyan. Since 2018, the Prime Minister of Armenia has visited Russia 32 times in order to participate in bilateral negotiations with the President of the Russian Federation, EAEU, CIS and CSTO summits, as well as international forums. In 2024-2026 alone, he visited Russia seven times, where economic and integration cooperation, energy, transport links in the South Caucasus, the work of the Armenian NPP, the regional agenda and military-technical cooperation were discussed. He almost always met with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Now, especially after the continued persecution of pro-Russian opposition politicians and businessmen, contacts with him are likely to remain on a pragmatic basis, as the economic ties between the two states are too deep to be severed by a single decision.
Moreover, Moscow refused congratulations and lowered the level of representation (the Armenian Prime Minister was met at the airport by the deputy head of the State Protocol Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry), demonstrating its attitude towards Yerevan’s current policy.
However, Pashinyan decided to make his first official visit to Russia after the elections, because the practical significance of the visit was more important for Yerevan than diplomatic etiquette.
Experts see this visit as Armenia’s attempt to find a balance between European promises and real economic losses. The main task of the Prime Minister of Armenia was probably to return Armenian capital to the Russian market and restore full trade. Such haste is probably related to the fact that hopes for financial support from the European Union did not justify themselves. Prime Minister Mishustin did not give any concrete guarantees to Pashinyan, because Moscow wants to follow Yerevan’s further practical steps. In fact, this allows us to talk about the failure of Pashinyan’s mission to Yekaterinburg. Armenia remains in an uncertain state in that direction.
RA Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s visit to Yekaterinburg followed the recent negotiations in Yerevan with the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, who promised much less than expected and demanded by Yerevan. The European Union refuses to provide any legally binding guarantees, especially in the field of trade, limiting itself to small monetary tranches and easing in the import of Armenian products. No documents were signed during the visit. only announcements were made about the prospects of cooperation, which has little to do with the real and current problems of Armenian farmers and other producers. Von der Leyen also stated that the EU is ready to help Armenia diversify its energy sources, citing Ukraine and Moldova as examples. European countries, despite loud announcements about sanctions, continue to buy Russian energy through third countries. Basically, Armenia is offered to buy three times the same, but with a “non-Russian” label, to formally match the anti-Russian rhetoric.
In addition, the Armenian NPP works with Russian technologies, uses Russian nuclear fuel, and is serviced by Russian specialists. Such a system cannot be changed by a single political decision. it will take years and multi-billion investments.
The leadership of Armenia has found itself in a difficult situation. From May to the end of July, Russia gradually introduced bans and restrictions on the import of almost all agricultural products from Armenia, from flowers and fresh vegetables to fish and dairy products, almost all of Armenia’s food exports to the Russian Federation came under restrictions. Since up to 90-94% of Armenian fruit and vegetable, flower and fish exports went to the Russian market, the blow was quite significant. According to the data of the Food Safety Inspection Authority of Armenia, in June 2026, the export of agricultural products to Russia will increase sharply. has decreased (collapsed). by 74.5% compared to June 2025. Experts: Armenia’s potential losses from the severance of integration ties with Russia they appreciate up to 14% of GDP. Moreover, it will not be difficult for Russia to replace Armenian products. Armenia’s share in the gross merchandise turnover does not exceed 0.9%, and the indicator of Armenian supplies to the rest of the EAEU countries is even lower., said Reshetnikov, head of the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation.
At first glance, the restrictions on imports from Armenia have a political context, but at the same time, experts note the systemic managerial crisis in Armenia. After the dissolution of the Ministry of Agriculture by order of Pashinyan in 2019, the state control system was disrupted. Hundreds of small companies are now entering the market, whose products are often of “unknown origin”. Thus, re-export schemes have been revealed, when products from third countries are imported into Armenia without phytosanitary control, repackaged and sent to the Russian Federation as “Armenian”. Russia insists on the implementation of the Russian “Mercury” type digital traceability system (the “Mercury digital traceability system is the Federal State Information System”) created by Rosselkhoznadzor (Federal Service of Veterinary and Phytosanitary Control) to control the circulation of animal products. It allows you to follow the path of the product from the producer to the final consumer, ensuring veterinary safety and traceability), which Yerevan is not yet technically ready for.
In this regard, we should not talk about the political context of the restrictions, but about the previous unfair concession to the quality of imports from Armenia. Economist Gagik Makaryan, president of the Union of Employers of Armenia, also agrees with this. “I do not agree with those experts who see a political context in everything. In most cases, Rosselkhoznadzor’s inspections and assessments are completely reliable. We really have problems.”
The Armenian leadership tried to sell the public the illusion of a quick turnaround. On the eve of the elections, Nikol Pashinyan promised Armenian farmers to solve the issues of the supply of various agricultural products to the Russian Federation immediately after the vote. He said that the deterioration of relations with Moscow is temporary, and as soon as he is re-elected, trade will be restored. However, this did not happen. The Russian market did not open, and it cannot be replaced in one season. Money transfers cannot be replaced by declarations. Gas at an acceptable price cannot be replaced by political applause. Pashinyan convinced the citizens that entering the European markets would compensate for the damage caused by the break with Russia. However, so far these promises have not been backed up by actual contracts or finance. Unlike the EAEU, the European Union offers complex and bureaucratized support schemes, and in the Eurasian Union, the rules are more transparent, and access to partners’ markets has not been the first year to bring concrete benefits to Armenian producers.
We have repeatedly warned that, even if Brussels actually opens its platforms a little for Armenian producers, in order for Armenian products to really appear on European counters, it is necessary to pass certification, meet strict quality standards, find counterparties, sign long-term contracts and ensure stable logistics. And even when all these procedures are passed, European farmers will force the governments of their countries to stop the entry of competitors, as happened with Ukrainian products.
On July 2, 2026, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the introduction of autonomous trade measures that will exempt up to 80% of EU Armenian exports (fresh fruits, vegetables, beverages and alcohol) from customs duties. A €52 million support package and the deployment of experts to support certification were also announced. However, On July 23, 2026, Politico reportedthat the EU actually rejected Armenian tomatoes. supplies never started due to non-compliance with EU standards. Authors of the article wordthe promises were pre-election in nature and were given to ensure Pashinyan’s victory in the parliamentary elections:
A similar situation has been created with fish. on July 16, the RA government approved the procedure for fish export to the EU, but in practice, the certification and logistics were not ready, and the European market showed no interest. Armenian representatives of fish farms had to hold a protest in front of the government building, demanding to develop real and effective mechanisms of state support to the sector due to serious export problems. According to the participants of the action, about 15,000 tons of fish products have already accumulated in warehouses, which they cannot send to foreign markets after the closure of Russian products.
Armenian farmers also organized a protest action, blocking the Yerevan-Yeraskh international highway, which leads to the border with Iran. The protesters demand to solve the problems of selling the crops. Ursula von der Leyen’s promised 52 million euro aid and the government’s own compensation ($22 million) either did not reach the producers or did not compensate for the loss of the main market.
The key question today is not whether the EU market is legally open, but how open it is in practice. If the producers are forced to protest, then there is a serious gap between the official statements and the real situation.
Experts with data“Many European countries have already alerted the EU leadership that they are not ready to open their markets to Armenian products to the detriment of national producers.”
Of course, as propaganda actions, the EU will organize demonstration purchases, such as the same 10,000 roses that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen sent from Armenia to Latvia.: However, the volume of these supplies to the EU will be incomparable with the previous volume of exports to the Russian Federation. Russia has remained the main sales market for decades, thanks to already existing logistics routes, common EAEU technical requirements and stable business ties. It is impossible to rebuild such a system in a short time.
It is fundamentally important to note that von der Leyen’s July visit to Armenia took place on the eve of the decision of the Constitutional Court regarding the legitimacy of the last elections. Due to multiple violations, the court could order a second round. Դիտորդները կարծում են, որ Ուրսուլա ֆոն դեր Լայենի Երևան գալը և նրա խոստումները նման սցենարը բացառելու և ստատուս-քվոն ամրագրելու ակցիա էր:
Indeed, on July 4, the CC rejected all the opposition’s complaints, leaving the CEC’s decision in force. In response, five opposition forces – Strong Armenia and Hayastan alliances, Prosperous Armenia, Armenian National Congress and National-Democratic Pole parties issued a joint statement calling the court’s decision the beginning of a new phase of political resistance. The main goal was declared to remove the current leadership from power as the only condition for the restoration of the constitutional order. Opposition blocs that have entered parliament have chosen to gain parliamentary seats, seeing them as political leverage to oppose the authorities. However, resistance strategies also include street demonstrations, building systemic institutional structures, and working with the population to create public demand for change.
In light of this, neither Moscow nor other EAEU members are going to sponsor Armenia’s move to Europe.A joint statement was agreed with the leaders of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan at the EAEU summit held in Astana on May 29. In it, they expressed concern “in connection with the preparation of the Republic of Armenia’s accession to the European Union, as well as the need to prevent harm to the member states of the Union.” In this regard, they demanded from the leadership of Armenia to decide on the future direction of integration: “to hold a nationwide referendum in the Republic of Armenia as soon as possible on whether to join the European Union or to be part of the EAEU in the future.” regarding”. It was also decided that by December 2026, the members of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council (the EAEU body consisting of the prime ministers of the participating countries) will assess the risks of possible suspension of Armenia’s membership in the Union.
In other words, EAEU members insist that the historical choice that will determine the future fate of Armenia should be made not by the current leadership, which enjoys the support of only less than half of the population, but by all its citizens, publicly and democratically. Then it will be the people’s own choice and their own responsibility.
Russian President Vladimir Putin during a telephone conversation with Nikol Pashinyan on July 27 (the conversation took place at the initiative of Yerevan) confirmed his loyalty to the joint statement of EAEU members in response to the request of the Prime Minister of Armenia to take measures to settle the situation related to the import of Armenian products, which have entered the panorama of the political crisis.
Judging by everything, the Armenian leadership will have to find a compromise between the commitments to the Western partners and the objective dependence of the Armenian economy on cooperation with the EAEU. In this sense, Pashinyan’s government will not be able to endlessly dodge between Europe, where it aspires on an ideological level, and Russia, on which it depends practically.
ALEXANDER ANANEV
Retired senior adviser to the Russian Foreign Ministry
Translation by Zhanna Avetisyan
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The strength of the opposition mandate. how to beat CP?
August 5, 2026
A few days ago, the new parliament started its work, but it is already clear that it will not meet the expectations of the public.
However, the opposition electorate has certain expectations.
The citizen who voted for the opposition expected that his preferred political force would win the elections.
When this did not happen, there was some disappointment.
The citizen went to the election expecting victory, not defeat, and the opposition should understand these public sentiments.
Details in the video:
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Doesn’t Vahagn Aleksanyan know that the government also complained about the acquisition of Su-30s?
August 5, 2026
On August 4, Vahagn Aleksanyan, the candidate for the NA vice president referred to To the Su-30s bought during the reign of Nikol Pashinyan, responding to the statement of Artur Khachatryan, deputy of the “Hayastan” faction, that “During the 44-day war, the Su-30 fighters, which were bought expensively, did not take off.”
“You made the Su-30 history, you say, look, they bought the Su-30, but the missile was nowhere to be found. Don’t you know that whenever you buy a weapon, it takes time to get the full kit? And those Sus are there now, with air-to-air missiles, too, and everything is normal.” emphasized the KP deputy.
Of course, during the 44-day war, Su-30SM multipurpose fighters solved a certain combat problem, but not what they were capable of. Yes, there was an agreement with the Russian side to purchase 8-12 units, but the current authorities bought only 4 units and stopped at that. Yes, there are political speculations about both Su-30s and Iskander, but this is not what we are talking about now.
The problem is that Vahagn Aleksanyan was a member of the Defense and Security Committee of the previous National Assembly, participated in the sessions of the 44-day investigative committee and put his signature under the report, which also refers to the acquisition of Su-30s, and, to put it mildly, not under a very positive guise.
About a year ago 168.am“The subjective aspect of the investigation commission report. With the inscription “Following the facts”. article: published, in which we wrote that, in particular, he was an expert in the Investigative Commission RA Armed Forces Colonel Vahan Avetisyan, former head of the Radio-Electronic Combat Troops Department of the Russian Armed Forces, which involved the well-known arms case of 42 million drams, “metal scraps”, in the context of which the name of the third president of the Republic of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan, was mentioned.
Later we wrote that Avetisyan is no longer accused in this case, however, as the RA Investigative Committee informed us: “taking into account the complexity and large-scale nature of the preliminary investigation of the criminal proceedings, the preliminary investigation is still ongoing.” In other words, the case related to 2017 is not closed.
According to that, the report regarding the 44-day period can be subjective, because there will naturally be a reference to the issue of whether the REP funds are effective or not, and even if in 2020 during the war, Vahan Avetisyan did not hold a position in the armed forces, but he held a leadership position in the relevant field, and those years cannot be ignored, especially since the authorities announced that the achievements of pre-war and earlier armaments will also be taken into account.
Now, if the RA means of the Armenian side worked effectively during the war, what about it on one occasion? had spoken Minister of Defense of Azerbaijan Zakir Hasanov, then the metal was not bought at the time, and Nikol Pashinyan was lying, when he pointed an accusing arrow against Serzh Sargsyan. In this case, Avetisyan will emphasize the efficiency of the sector he leads. But if, in any case, there were some problems with the REP funds, then Vahan Avetisyan could try to cover it up. Reason enough for subjectivity, right?
As for the actual topic of the article. 2020 In April, Colonel Vahan Avetisyan, who was still being held in “Yerevan-Kentron” prison at that time open letter corrected Nikol Pashinyan, saying that “he is being harassed by the head of the State Security Service Artak Davtyan and his deputy Stepan Galstyan”, in particular, noting. “After the velvet revolution of 2018, I had the courage to express a professionally substantiated opinion and question the feasibility of acquiring Su-30 aircraft for the RA Armed Forces.”
This is the first.
Second, we We wrote that very late Andranik Kocharyan, who was against the acquisition of Su-30s, attached to the report of the 44-day investigative commission his several-page letter-analysis related to them, which he presented to Pashinyan, and which was also mentioned in the investigative commission during Pashinyan’s questioning.
The third episode last year in the National Assembly, the purchase of Su-30SMs was also addressed by the then Speaker of the National Assembly, Alen Simonyan, and how we have informedhad put the “blame” of their acquisition on the military and considered them not theirs, and nothing that they worked with them after the change of power.
«When you say that you brought the Sus, is it possible that we sat like that? open the menu and see what to take, your military gave us advice, the military give us advice, they say: we need this or that.” Alen Simonyan announced. That is, he essentially did not support the idea of acquiring Su-30s.
And now, when Vahagn Aleksanyan in the National Assembly is upset with the opposition that they are making a story about the Su-30s, is he not familiar with the positions of his colleagues, or did he put his signature under the report of the Investigative Commission, which, by the way, until recently, as far as we know, did not have the signatures of former members of the CPSU, Kristine Poghosyan and Hayk Sargsyan?
Here, however, it should be said that the RA Defense Minister Suren Papikyan considers the Su-30SM to be a very good fighter, therefore, as 168.am wrote, provided the necessary “add-ons” for them. In particular, we are talking about the Iranian “Yasin” planing aerial bombs, which international experts noticed under the wings of the Su-30s during the May 28 military parade.
By: open data, The Yasin high-precision bomb with a planning and correction module weighs 300 kilograms, the mass of the warhead is 225 kilograms, and it belongs to the MK-82 class. The aerial bomb is designed for hitting stationary targets using GPS satellite navigation and inertial navigation systems. According to available information, the range of the bomb under standard conditions is 50-60 kilometers, and in case of release or throwing from the optimal height, it can reach up to 120 kilometers.
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The CC will examine the issue of TRIPP’s compliance with the Constitution on September 15
August 5, 2026
The case regarding determining the compliance with the Constitution of the obligations stipulated in the framework agreement on strategic cooperation between RA and the USA regarding TRIPP was accepted for examination.
The trial will begin on September 15, 2026, and will be conducted by written procedure. Judge Edgar Shatiryan of the Constitutional Court was appointed a reporter in the case.
If the high court recognizes the obligations of the international treaty as conforming to the Constitution, it will be sent to the National Assembly for ratification.
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What did Pashinyan and Tokayev discuss? EATU Intermediate Tent to be held in Cholpon-Ata
August 5, 2026
Against the backdrop of the crisis in Armenia-Russia relations and the future of Armenia’s membership in the EAEU, Nikol Pashinyan had a telephone conversation with the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kasim-Jomart Tokayev.
According to the press release of the RA Government, the President of Kazakhstan congratulated Nikol Pashinyan on his re-appointment and wished him success for the good of Armenia and the Armenian people. According to the report, Pashinyan thanked Tokayev for the congratulation, as well as for awarding him with the highest state award during his official visit to the Republic of Kazakhstan, emphasizing the importance of the consistent development of Armenia-Kazakhstan relations.
“At the same time, the Prime Minister wished President Tokaev success in the Kurulta elections to be held on August 23, emphasizing the strategic importance and consistency of the domestic and foreign policies implemented by him. The Prime Minister invited Kasim-Jomart Tokaev to visit Armenia. The president of Kazakhstan accepted the invitation,” the message said.
According to the report, the interlocutors also discussed a number of issues related to the agenda of Armenia-Kazakhstan relations, as well as reflected on the prospects of further development of cooperation. Before that, on the same day, Tokayev sent a congratulatory message to Pashinyan. And the remarkable thing is that in the message there is no mention of discussions on EAEU, when this has currently turned into the most urgent foreign policy issue of Armenia due to the economic restrictions and political ultimatum initiated by Russia against Armenia.
By the way, Tokayev was one of the EAEU leaders who adopted a statement on Armenia on May 29, proposing to hold a referendum in Armenia on the choice between the EU and the EAEU.
It is also worth reminding that the telephone conversation between Pashinyan and Tokaev takes place on August 6 in Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyzstan, ahead of the meeting of the EAEU Intergovernmental Council. Nikol Pashinyan announced his participation in it weeks ago, noting that he will use the session to raise the problems that have arisen for Armenia in the Eurasian direction.
To remind, a few days ago, the informal meeting of the heads of the Central Asian states and Azerbaijan took place in Cholpon-Ata, where the issues of regional cooperation, transport corridors, energy interconnection and economic integration were discussed.
Returning to the Pashinyan-Tokaev telephone conversation, its context and deep layers are much wider than it seems at first glance. First of all, against the background of the growing crisis and accumulated problems around Armenia within the EAEU, it is obvious that Yerevan is trying to activate bilateral diplomatic channels, expecting some balancing support or at least constructive neutrality in contacts with Astana. Therefore, with high-level contacts, Nikol Pashinyan strives to reduce the political pressures exerted on Armenia on the Eurasian platform.
Russian analyst Vladimir Yevseyev in a conversation with us he stated that In recent years, Armenia-Kazakhstan relations have also changed, so during a high-level telephone conversation, bilateral developments and especially developments in the South Caucasus regarding transport and infrastructure issues can be discussed.
He mentioned that in recent years the direction of Central Asia-South Caucasus has acquired a completely different meaning.
“The convergence of Central Asia and the South Caucasus is taking place amid a broader geopolitical realignment, with major players seeking to reshape traditional trade routes. The “Middle Corridor” project and other projects arising from it bring the two regions closer together, many interested parties are trying to turn all this into a single logistic and economic area. Kazakhstan is an active participant in these logistics future plans, and discussions, judging by many developments, are ongoing with many other parties. Therefore, Yerevan and Astana have something to discuss in this sense.” said the analyst.
According to him, in the conditions of these realities, the Pashinyan-Tokaev dialogue is aimed not only at alleviating the existing tension in the EAEU, but also at reaching agreements between Yerevan and Astana in broad regional communications.
“Besides EAEU, Armenia and Kazakhstan currently have another agenda in the face of these projects.” he remarked.
As a result, the upcoming session of the EAEU Intergovernmental Council and the high-level contacts preceding it will become the litmus test that will show how well Armenian diplomacy manages to combine Eurasian harsh realities and new regional vectors. If Pashinyan, in the end, clearly raises the accumulated problems, and at the same time deepens bilateral economic ties with Central Asian partners, Armenia will be able not only to protect its interests, but also to breathe new life into the process of foreign policy diversification.” As for EAEU, the analyst believes that the President of Kazakhstan is congratulating Pashinyan considering this bilateral agenda.
“I think Kazakhstan has the same position in EAEU as before, when it joined the EAEU leaders’ statement. However, I do not think that Kazakhstan will publicly criticize Yerevan’s steps, but will also be guided by the consensus that prevails in EAEU on key issues. I think that Moscow will continue to raise this issue in the EAEU, because Kazakhstan had the closest relations with Armenia in the EAEU.”he said.
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168: They do not hold power with prisons. do not enter, do not destroy an Armenian family
August 5, 2026
Satik Seyranyan’s guest in the “Pressing” program is philosopher, religious scholar, former member of the National Assembly (NA) Vardan Khachatryan.
There is an opinion that Russia, by applying these economic sanctions to Armenia during the elections or before the elections, actually helped Pashinyan in his re-election, and due to this, according to some people, he is not actually a pro-Western figure, but a covert pro-Russian figure.
- Nikol Pashinyan used it to some extent, saying that you are suffering, the Russian market is closing, we will give you that money. His step was a problem solver at that moment, but it was a help for people who do not think far. In fact, we are losing the market on which Armenia’s interests and financial and economic strength were anchored. They say we are going to Europe. Is Europe waiting for us? of course not, those people have a problem in their countries today and their problem is not a problem that can be solved. Europe’s main task is to maintain its place among the so-called fate-makers of the world, which it is inevitably losing. There is also a serious crisis in Europe. Look at what the leaders of European countries think of their societies, the ratings are barely within 20 percent.
- Germany itself owed its economic rise to the cheap fuel it received from Russia, be it gas or oil. And when those gas pipelines were blown up, the German economy came to a halt. Now today, one of Germany’s main manufacturing powerhouses, the well-known Volkswagen, essentially ceases to exist in Germany…
- The US finance minister simply announced. “If we want to avoid a world war, then two things must happen. first, Russia should sell all its oil and gas only in dollars, and second, Persia should do the same.” According to him, in that case the problems will be solved. This was the most honest statement made by them, in other cases, one day they say one thing, the next day or afternoon, something else, in the evening, something completely different. But behind all that is the desire to restore the petrodollar, that its influence on the world must be restored, otherwise they will go down in status.
- Iran’s opportunities are growing before everyone’s eyes, it cannot be ignored.
- Of course, Nikol Pashinyan is mostly connected with the West, but the West is represented here by the interests of Turkey and Azerbaijan, and by whom should the West be represented here? And it’s been that way since 1996. Once it was said directly to Kozerev’s face. when he said that Russia has no foreign interests, what should be the issue of the Transcaucasian republics, the US Secretary of State without thinking says that they should come under the patronage of Turkey, Turkey should regulate what is there, what we have.
- In Ankara, at the NATO meeting, Erdogan welcomed Trump with a delegation of 17 people, all of them were representatives of Turkish-speaking, Turkish-speaking peoples, led by him, he showed that I am and I am, I am the future here, and you should just have the best relations with me and help me so that I can set Russia on fire from the south.
- Let’s not forget that the problem of Syria was finally resolved through Ukraine.
- Why is Turkey conducting training to bring the Azerbaijani army up to all NATO standards so that it can work synchronously with Turkey? So, why do we need, let’s say, our Zangezur corridor… So that they can feed the Azerbaijani army…
To remind: Devlet Bahçeli, the leader of Turkey’s largest nationalist force, the “Nationalist Movement” party, a political ally of President Erdogan, recently announced again. Through the “Zangezur Corridor” Kars connects to the Turkestan steppes.
“It is necessary to call things by their names. Zangezur Corridor is actually Turanakan Corridor. When it opens, the idea of the reunification of the Turkic world will be outlined much more clearly,” said Bahceli, addressing the deputies of his party.
Turk the leader of the nationalists also called on the official Yerevan not to hinder the implementation of the project.
“Karabakh is Azerbaijan. This has been proven both on the battlefield, through blood, and at the negotiation table, through legal methods. If Yerevan shows wisdom and honestly participates in regional cooperation, not only Azerbaijan and Turkey, but also Armenia will benefit from the Turanan Corridor. Otherwise, that country may squander tomorrow’s opportunities by clinging to the lost dreams of the past.”
- And why did Bahceli state that their goal is to unite the Turkish world? Now put Aliyev’s statements next to that, when he says that we should not see the face of any Armenian, regardless of whether it is an Armenian border guard or a customs officer, we should not see the face of any Armenian. Why does he say? because from there must go that which must satisfy the army existing there, supplies against Russia. There is no Iran, no Central Asian country will risk taking a step against Russia in this regard. They all know that it will have severe consequences. Now, why do we get into such a game? First of all, it is difficult to imagine entering, besides, was it worth it or not? Can we imagine the danger?
- Our challenges have turned into threats to our country. Finally, we must understand that the goal of these countries is the destruction of Armenia – Armenia will not exist. According to their idea, that Turanian mass should be here, which, based on its interests, should be ready to put the lives, blood, etc. of its citizens. Why do they do it? so that Armenia does not exist, because Armenia will always be hostile to everything that is Turkish, because we were subjected to genocide.
By the way, there are views in the Azerbaijani press that Armenia can have observer status in the Organization of Turkic Speaking States.
- The Armenian Apostolic Church is an archetypal root for us. It is the most important guarantee of our national security. It is an important axis that cannot be touched even with a slingshot, because the answer to it can be with an atomic weapon. It is Armenian identity for 1700 years and includes everything that came before it. Do not suddenly think that it is only 1700 years. What was before that also comes through that pipe, and we are its owners, and thus we are precious to the future, not to the existing mercantile interests, which are political. And under those conditions, the main goal of the hostile forces is to destroy it. As they say, there is no person, there is no problem. The problem is with us. we were not there, that problem does not exist.
Thus, the Armenian diaspora will also disintegrate in just 25-30 years, because the existence of each diaspora is the transmission of cultural rhythm from the mother country. Unfortunately, our Armenian culture is produced only in Armenia. no matter how lame, no matter how damaged the layer, which is unable to even reproduce itself, but still, the motherland is the keeper.
…of course it is the Israeli lobby, and the English lobby, which is stronger than it, which constantly contributes to the Turkish influence everywhere trying to increase against Russia.
We must understand that such a thing cannot be allowed, otherwise we will fall under a deadly blow. Not only do we need to get our heads together, but we also need to understand what is happening.
- In the world now, whether you want it or not, Iran is rising, and we have to consider the possibilities of our opposition to that danger, the danger that is coming at us like a wave. It is not given to any mortal to stop the wave of the sea with two hands. You have to be able to make an alliance, you have to be able to establish relations with those who are ready, according to everything, to enter into the struggle there, also to stand by you.
- Why are they forcing us to leave EAEU, CSTO, NATO, naturally, they will not accept it, but they are forcing us to withdraw the 102nd Russian military base, to break relations with Russia and Iran. they are trying to isolate us, hang up, in order to when that the need be, as միրգ՝ poke, eat No it is possible, without joining any other alliance, to leave an alliance in which you are already in, which will take over your security, take responsibility…
- Now we are going down a path that can lead to a rupture at any moment. In other words, you lose everything, you hang in the air, all possible winds, all possible waves will knock you down. Why are we doing this?
- If we leave the EAEU, it will be a very serious loss for Russia as well, because Russia does not have a base support in the south. It is not permissible for us to go to such a breach.
- There is an old, famous English saying attributed to Churchill, but it was said about 30 years before Churchill’s birth: England has no eternal allies, England has eternal interests, and we, as England, as Great Britain, can only act within those interests. Now, the interest of those people, for 300 years, is to sink Russia, moreover, today’s Europe sees its future to some extent in appropriating the resources of a fragmented Russia. Russia will give an aggressive reaction to it. There is no need for us to fall into that aggressive reaction. I say it very clearly, because it is not our problem, it is the problem of Europe, European countries and, first of all, England, because England still has 1 key orientation, that is: Russia must be destroyed, Russia must sink, the entire Russian crust must belong to European and, above all, to English opportunities, business, etc., etc. This is a history that has been going on for 300 years, which will not change in any way, the geographical positions of those countries will never change, the existing opportunities in those countries will always be opposed to each other, and regardless of whether Armenia wants it or not, we are no longer playing a role there.
- Today, it is obvious that Russia has lowered the status of relations with Armenia.
- Years ago, I remember well, for the first time a European delegation headed by a Dutch representative came, the first thing that stood up and announced: we are tired of you, don’t suddenly say that we are coming to Europe, we are tired of all of you…
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RFE/RL – Witkoff Adviser Discusses ‘Trump Route’ In Armenia
A senior adviser to U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff met with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian in Yerevan on Wednesday for talks that focused on the planned creation of a U.S.-run transit corridor passing through Armenia.
The Armenian government gave few details of Pashinian’s talks with Aryeh Lightstone. It said they discussed unspecified “issues related to the implementation” of the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) project. The TRIPP would run along Armenia’s border with Iran and connect Azerbaijan to its Nakhichevan exclave and Turkey.
The two men expressed confidence that “as a result of the resolution of technical issues, practical steps in that direction will be even more visible in the near future,” the government said in a statement. It did not elaborate.
Lighthouse held a separate meeting with Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan earlier in the day. According to the Armenian Foreign Ministry, they both “emphasized their interest in implementing the project on the ground in the shortest possible time frame.” The U.S. Embassy in Yerevan issued no statement on the talks as of Wednesday evening.
Lighthouse was accompanied by Konstantin Sokolov, a Russian-born American entrepreneur who was recently appointed by the U.S. State Department as chairman of a $200 million fund tasked with facilitating the TRIPP. Sokolov has business interests in Armenia that include a major stake in one of the country’s three mobile phone operators.
A U.S.-Armenian agreement signed in early June calls for the creation of a joint venture that will manage for at least 49 years a railway, a road, energy supply lines and other infrastructure to be built along the corridor. The U.S. government will own 74 percent of the TRIPP Development Company (TDC) that will receive “exclusive land use rights, development rights, related permissions, and all other rights” necessary for the transit arrangement.
Iran remains opposed to the TRIPP, fearing that it could lead to U.S. security presence along the Armenian-Iranian border and undermine Armenian control of it. The Iranian ambassador to Armenia indicated on July 8 that Yerevan has still not addressed Tehran’s “very legitimate and logical” concerns. Pashinian made clear the following day that he remains committed to implementing the TRIPP project “as soon as possible.”
“We are ready to provide answers to all the questions preoccupying [Iran] so that all fears are dispelled,” he told reporters on July 30.
Levon Zurabian, an Armenian opposition leader who visited Tehran recently, said on July 26 that Iranian officials remain “very negative about the TRIPP.” Zurabian cited the unnamed officials as warning that “if we see it as a threat to our national security we will act the way we do in the Persian Gulf.”
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Government Seizure Of Tsarukian Asset Challenged In Court
- Naira Bulghadarian
A company owned by Gagik Tsarukian has asked an Armenian court to invalidate the expropriation of its large fitness center in Yerevan initiated by the municipal authorities amid a government crackdown on the jailed businessman and opposition leader.
Two days after Tsarukian’s arrest promised by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian, the authorities unilaterally rescinded on July 8 a long-term lease agreement on land in the city center occupied by the Multi Wellness center. They went on to seize the property itself. Armenia’s State Committee for Real Estate Cadaster formally transferred its ownership to the municipality on July 14. The government agency gave no reason for the extraordinary decision.
The Multi Wellness management wants the court to annul both decisions described by it as illegal. Mayor Tigran Avinian’s office has so far declined to present legal grounds for the unprecedented asset confiscation. Avinian, who is a senior member of Pashinian’s Civil Contract party, has personally announced the seizure on social media.
Multi Wellness was among dozens of Tsarukian-owned firms raided and effectively shut down by law-enforcement officers on July 6. Later in July, courts allowed the Armenian government to take over the largest of them — a cement plant and a brandy distillery — pending verdicts on prosecutors’ demand to confiscate Tsarukian’s assets worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
Pashinian pledged to nationalize the cement plant located in the southern town of Ararat when he campaigned for the June 7 parliamentary elections in which Tsarukian’s Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK) was one of the main opposition contenders. He has since repeatedly pledged to imprison and “dispossess” Tsarukian as well as the leaders of two other key opposition groups.
Tsarukian is accused of defrauding Iranian business partners. He strongly denies the accusations. The current executive director and a former chairman of his Multi Group holding company were arrested as part of the same criminal case on Wednesday.
Several other business executives working for the BHK leader were arrested earlier. They include the director of the Yerevan-based Ararat Brandy-Wine-Vodka Factory, who is facing tax evasion charges also levelled against Tsarukian.
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RFE/RL – Armenian Government Continues Foreign Borrowing
- Mkrtich Karapetian
The Armenian government is due to formally approve on Thursday $320 million in new foreign loans secured by it, adding to the country’s public debt that has more than doubled during Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s rule.
The government will mainly use the two long-term loans allocated by the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank to finance its budget deficit projected at 536 billion drams ($1.47 billion) this year. The deficit should fall to below 5 percent from 5.5 percent recorded last year.
The government and the Armenian Central Bank have already borrowed some $500 million since November. Their combined debt stood at roughly $6.5 billion when Pashinian came to power in 2018. It has reached $14.6 billion since then despite strong growth in tax revenue touted by the authorities.
The sharp increase has been driven by the government’s more expensive internal borrowing as opposed to low-interest loans provided by the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and other multilateral institutions. Armenian opposition figures regularly cite it in their criticism of the government’s economic policies.
Pashinian and other government officials have downplayed Armenia’s increased debt burden, arguing that it is equivalent to about half of Gross Domestic Product, down from 60 percent in 2021. The IMF forecast in 2025 that the debt-to-GDP ratio will rise in the coming years.
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Parliament Speaker outlines key threats to Armenia’s security
Speaker of Parliament Ruben Rubinyan has said that the threats to Armenia’s security include the fact that peace with Azerbaijan is not yet fully institutionalized, the closed border with Türkiye and the absence of diplomatic relations, as well as the insufficient diversification of the country’s economic, security, and energy ties.
Speaker Rubinyan made these remarks in parliament in response to a speech by Kristine Vardanyan, an MP from the opposition Armenia faction, and to her question regarding the sources of the current threats facing Armenia.
“Our threats come, first and foremost, from Azerbaijan. We have peace with Azerbaijan, but that peace is not yet irreversible and has not been fully institutionalized. In other words, the absence of comprehensive peace with Azerbaijan is unequivocally and indisputably a threat to the security of the Republic of Armenia,” Rubinyan said.
According to the Speaker, the closed border with Türkiye and the lack of diplomatic relations between the two countries also constitute a threat.
“We face a threat from Türkiye because having a closed border with an immediate neighbor is, at the very least, an economic threat, while the absence of established diplomatic relations is, at the very least, a diplomatic threat,” Rubinyan said.
Rubinyan also listed the insufficient diversification of Armenia’s economic and security partnerships, energy supply sources, and transit routes among the country’s security vulnerabilities.
He said that the key difference between the government’s approach and that of the opposition is that the government seeks to neutralize these threats and find solutions to them.
“We recognize the threat and want to eliminate or neutralize it. We saw that there was no peace, and we achieved peace. Now we see that it is not yet irreversible and not 100 percent institutionalized, and we want to make it irreversible and institutionalize it,” Rubinyan said.
Addressing Armenia–Türkiye relations, he noted that Yerevan is working through negotiations to open the border and normalize bilateral relations.
“We see the closed border with Türkiye, and we recognize that it is a threat to our businesses and to Armenia in general. We are negotiating to reach a solution, and in the process we are moving forward step by step,” Rubinyan said.
Rubinyan criticized the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, arguing that the party does not seek to neutralize these threats but instead exploits them for political purposes.
According to Rubinyan, everyone in Armenia understands that unresolved relations with Türkiye and the lack of fully institutionalized peace with Azerbaijan are threats.
“There is no one in Armenia who does not understand that unresolved relations with Türkiye are a threat, or who does not understand that the absence of fully institutionalized peace with Azerbaijan is a threat,” he said.
Rubinyan also addressed Russia’s restrictions on imports of Armenian products, urging Kristine Vardanyan to clearly state her position on the issue.
He asked whether the opposition faction believes that Armenian products actually fail to meet the standards of the Eurasian Economic Union and whether, for example, the restrictions imposed on Jermuk mineral water are justified.
“If you believe that our products do not violate any standards, then please tell us: is it an act befitting a partner to impose economic restrictions on goods that comply with all standards? Are we not dealing with an act of pressure here, and does that pressure not itself pose a threat—for example, to our sovereignty?” Rubinyan asked.
The Speaker called on Kristine Vardanyan to provide direct and clear answers to these questions in her speech, emphasizing that discussing them constitutes a substantive political debate.
Published by Armenpress, original at
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