Pashinyan now resorting to manipulation in both domestic and foreign policy, expert says

The Armenian government’s desire to join the European Union has elicited mixed reactions from the international community. In particular, EU representatives have not given hope to Yerevan, while Russian authorities have compared EU integration to buying a ticket for the “Titanic.” The opposition in Armenia has also criticized the government’s decision, Nezavisimaya Gazeta writes.

According to expert Anton Yevstratov, Pashinyan’s government has taken a pro-Western course since coming to power in 2018. At the same time, Russia had opportunities to show Yerevan the benefits of maintaining allied relations, but the events that unfolded between 2020 and 2023 did not meet the expectations of the Armenian authorities. As a result, Pashinyan and his team have even ceased attempts to hide their loyalty to the EU. “Indeed, such demarches consistently relate to the political sphere but do not affect the economy, where cooperation clearly benefits everyone. At the same time, it is evident that it will not be possible to be a member of both the EU and the EAEU. However, for now, the matter is more about manipulation by Pashinyan in both domestic and foreign policy. He does not hide this, stating that Armenia is ready to engage with the EU to the extent that the EU is prepared to do so. As a result, despite the fact that Armenia has reached another level of distancing from Russia and rapprochement with the West, it still faces a long and difficult road ahead,” Yevstratov noted.