YEREVAN, Armenia — Armenians voted in a parliamentary election on Sunday as the incumbent government, under mounting Russian pressure, sought to loosen ties with Moscow and deepen cooperation with the West.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his governing Civil Contract party are looking for a strong mandate for a new geopolitical course for Armenia. The opposition they face includes some parties that are vocally pro-Russia.
Casting his vote on Sunday, Pashinyan said that the country would continue strengthening its independence, statehood, democracy and rule of law.
"The European Union is our main partner in democratic reform implementation, and we will continue that path," he said.
He also stressed that there were no tensions between Armenia and Moscow, saying "our relations with Russia are institutional and based on mutual respect," the Armenpress news agency reported.
Russian officials have hit Armenian exports with a barrage of restrictions in recent weeks. President Vladimir Putin and other Russian officials have made thinly veiled threats comparing Armenia's path to that already taken by Ukraine, which was invaded by Russia.
Meanwhile, Armenian investigators said that they issued six arrest warrants for members of the opposition Strong Armenia party the day before the election, accusing them of buying votes. The nation's Central Election Committee confirmed Saturday that the party could run after a member of another opposition party, Republic, appealed for Strong Armenia to be barred over corruption allegations.
Commenting on the arrests on Sunday, the head of the Strong Armenia party, Russian Armenian businessman Samvel Karapetyan, said that they "would not change the minds of Armenian voters."
Karapetyan is under house arrest for allegedly advocating for the government's overthrow, a charge that the billionaire has rejected as politically motivated. He was escorted to a polling station where he spoke briefly to the media before returning home.
"The Armenian people will make the right choice and Armenia will finally have a legitimate government," he said.
Trump offers support as Putin urges caution
Armenia's National Assembly must consist of at least 101 members who are elected for five-year terms. Parties must win at least 4% of the vote to take a seat, while blocs made up of three or more parties must hit 8%.
Two political blocs and 17 parties are taking part in Sunday's election. Most pollsters and experts have predicted Pashinyan, who came to power in 2018 following sweeping street protests, will come out ahead.
"I think Armenians expect, first of all, a peaceful, independent and prosperous Armenia from this election, as we have today," said Hripsime Grigoryan, a Civil Contract member of the outgoing parliament.
Pashinyan has spoken on several occasions about the need for a balanced foreign policy to ensure that Armenia maintains good relations with the United States, Europe and Russia, as well as regional powers such as Turkey and Iran — both of which border Armenia.
Despite this, Pashinyan has attracted far more enthusiasm in the West than in Moscow. He has been endorsed by several European leaders, and U.S. President Donald Trump.
"Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, of Armenia, a great friend and Leader, is making his Country strong, wealthy, and very secure," Trump wrote on social media, urging Armenians to "Make (Armenia) Great Again."
This has displeased the Kremlin. Speaking to journalists after Russia's Victory Day parade on May 9, Putin said if the Armenian people saw benefits in joining the European Union, then "we will certainly have nothing to say against it."
Yet he also reminded reporters, "We are currently living through everything that is happening in respect of Ukraine. And how did it start? It started with Ukraine's joining or attempting to join the EU."
Opposition wants closer ties with Russia
Unlike the Civil Contract party, most of Armenia's opposition supports building stronger relations with Moscow.
The Strong Armenia party seeks to develop business ties with Russia and has accused Pashinyan of attempting to start a war with Moscow.
Other potential contenders include former President Robert Kocharyan, who leads the Hayastan bloc and also has accused Pashinyan of undermining relations with Russia, and the Prosperous Armenia Party, led by pro-Russia business owner Gagik Tsarukyan.
These parties also have strongly criticized Pashinyan for attempting to normalize relations with neighboring Azerbaijan. The Armenian leader and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev initialed a document on moving toward a peace deal at the White House alongside Trump in August.
Armenia and Azerbaijan were locked in a decades-long conflict over the fate of Karabakh, a breakaway region that had been controlled for decades by ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia. Azerbaijan took control of the entire Karabakh region during a rapid offensive in 2023.
"I want this government to change, because the condition of our country is getting worse," Sahakyan Elina, a supporter of the Prosperous Armenia Party, told The Associated Press at a rally Thursday. "I don't want to live with my enemies in unity."
EU criticizes Moscow's pressure
Russian officials have imposed new restrictions on Armenian produce in the lead-up to the parliamentary vote, banning the import of Armenian flowers, certain types of cognac and wine, eggplant, potatoes, dried fruits, fish and more.
Russia says the bans are related to violations of agricultural import rules.
The European Commission on Thursday described the move as "nothing short of economic coercion."
"By extending export restrictions on Armenian products, Moscow is weaponizing economic relations for political pressure. We know this playbook all too well," the commission said in a statement.
Moscow also controls a significant portion of Armenia's energy and infrastructure, and supplies it with cheap gas, which is a point that Putin has been quick to drive home in his meetings with Pashinyan.
Putin also has stressed that Armenia can't join the EU and remain within the Eurasian Economic Union, a Russia-led customs bloc.
"Being in a customs union with the European Union and the Eurasian Economic Union is impossible," Putin said. "It's simply impossible by definition."
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