Russian expert: Russia to pursue pragmatic dialogue with any Armenian  leadership

ArmInfo. Russia will attempt to establish a pragmatic dialogue with any Armenian leadership that will be formed following the June parliamentary elections.

This opinion was shared by Andrey Areshev, political observer and expert at the Strategic Culture Foundation, during a Moscow-Yerevan video conference. He was commenting on the April meeting between the Armenian and Russian leaders in Moscow, as well as the subsequent statements by the Russian side.

Areshev recalled that the meeting between Pashinyan and Putin has  caused quite a stir. However, in his opinion, nothing out of the  ordinary was said at that meeting. "After all, it was clear that the  Armenian leadership would continue to make use of the advantages  provided by membership in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), while  also pursuing a European agenda, for  domestic political reasons. As  we know, much of what is happening in Armenia is currently driven by  the logic of the election campaign, and tensions will only increase  in the lead-up to June 7, 2026," the expert believes.

Areshev also stated that Pashinyan's government will continue to  attempt to combine differnet vectors of foreign economic and foreign  policy activities, including defense cooperation, which is no secret  to Russia. He also noted that after April 1, subsequent contacts and  discussions on current Armenian-Russian relations were guided by the  following idea: "There's no need to smash pots; this will lead to  nothing positive for either Russia or Armenia. Instead, we must  strive to maintain pragmatic relations where it serves the interests  of both states. At the same time, it's perfectly clear-Russian  President Vladimir Putin and then Deputy Prime Minister Alexey  Overchuk have already stated this-that simultaneous participation in  two integration associations is impossible. But we already knew this.  And in this sense, the controversial information campaign regarding a  possible revision of the South Caucasus Railway concession agreement  hasn't brought any positive results. The parties will most likely try  to resolve this issue based on shared interests. And I think that,  despite various statements, Russia will try to build a pragmatic  dialogue with any Armenian government that will be formed following  the June 7 elections," Areshev noted.

At the same time, the expert emphasized the importance for the  Russian side of having a strong and stable government. "This will  ensure at least minimal predictability and mutual trust in  Russian-Armenian relations for the next five years, to the extent  possible," the expert concluded.

Recall, Putin and Pashinyan held talks in Moscow on April 1. The  meeting took place in a rather tense atmosphere, with the parties  exchanging accusations. The Russian leader expressed hope that,  regardless of the outcome of the upcoming parliamentary elections in  Armenia, the commitment to strengthening bilateral relations would be  maintained. The Russian president emphasized that, no matter what  happens, Russia will always be guided by what is best for the  Armenian people. Putin also stated that Russia is relaxed about the  development of Armenia's relations with the EU, but that Yerevan will  not be able to be in two customs unions at once, expressing hope that  the EU and the EAEU will interact in the future. In this regard, he  reminded the prime minister that "Russia sells gas to Armenia at a  significantly lower price than the current price of this fuel in  Europe." Later, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk stated  that "Armenia is approaching a point where Armenian-Russian relations  can be reconsidered." Following this, at a briefing with journalists  during the eighth extraordinary congress of the ruling Civil Contract  party, Armenian Parliament Speaker Alen Simonyan threatened to  withdraw the country from the CSTO and the EAEU if Russia  decides to  raise gas prices for Armenia.