The visit of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia to Moscow primarily had a domestic political and pre-election subtext. This opinion was expressed by the former Foreign Minister of Artsakh, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Armenia Arman Melikyan.
According to him, more important than the substantive discussions of the visit is to understand what impact the open and closed parts of the meeting had on Armenian society and Russian expert circles. In Melikyan’s assessment, the main effect of the meeting was that “the pro-Russian forces of Armenia were inspired, and the forces supporting Pashinyan were inspired.” He noted that in this sense, “it seems everyone got what they wanted to get from Moscow and from Putin’s lips.”
The diplomat also emphasizes the importance of the context of previous years, noting that after 2020, Russia’s rating in Armenia has declined, and a “rather serious negative tint” has formed among ordinary citizens. At the same time, he said, Moscow cannot be unaware of this change, yet “Russian authorities are accustomed to using others’ attitudes to serve their own interests — whether that attitude is negative or positive.”
“Support may have the opposite effect”
The diplomat points out that Russia is aware that attitudes toward it in Armenia have worsened, therefore those figures whom Moscow supports may face the same attitude.
At the same time, the opposite is true: if Russia publicly expresses dissatisfaction with the Prime Minister and “even humiliates him in front of everyone,” this may “increase the number of practical supporters of Pashinyan in Armenia.”
In this sense, the meeting fulfilled its role by activating supporters of different poles. “It was more to Pashinyan’s benefit and to Karapetyan’s detriment, rather than the other way around,” he notes.
As for the statements made in the open part of the Pashinyan-Putin meeting, Melikyan does not attach much importance to them. He stresses that the policy pursued by Armenia’s current authorities “has never actually created any problems for Russia” — neither in bilateral relations nor on international platforms.
According to him, the rhetoric used, including accusations and expressions of dissatisfaction, “has not actually had any impact on the practical side of the relations.”