All posts tagged: Armenia

PM Pashinyan warned Armenia does not wish to engage with ‘weaponization’ of the 1915 genocide – Middle East Matters

PM Pashinyan warned Armenia does not wish to engage with ‘weaponization’ of the 1915 genocide – Middle East Matters

Published by Sam Flores

You’re watching Middle East Matters on France 24. Nadia Massih is pleased to welcome our Jerusalem correspondent Noga Tarnopolsky and Amberin Zaman, Chief Correspondent for Al Monitor, a Washington-based independent news organization that covers the Middle East and North Africa. Zaman argues that Israel’s apparent recognition of the Armenian genocide is less a principled historical reckoning than a “nakedly cynical” strategy shaped by the Gaza war, tensions with Turkey and shifting regional alliances. Rather than treating the issue as a moral debate in isolation, she frames it within a complex network of relationships linking Israel, Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, NATO and the United States. Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan dismissed Israel’s recognition outright, instead accusing Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar of ‘weaponizing’ the genocide. And while populist rhetoric continues to dominate public discourse, security cooperation, energy exports and the regional power balance reign supreme. Zaman suggests that Armenia itself has entered a new phase under Pashinyan, prioritising reconciliation, pragmatism and state-building. Source link

Pro-EU Ruling Party Wins Armenia Election In Landslide, Kremlin Blasts Western Interference

Pro-EU Ruling Party Wins Armenia Election In Landslide, Kremlin Blasts Western Interference

Published by Jenni Sidey

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s party has won parliamentary elections, according to Monday’s result, after a vote which has signified the small Caucasus nation’s major pro-Western shift. His Civil Contract party secured 49.81 percent of the vote, while the main opposition party Strong Armenia – seen as pro-Moscow, finished a distant second with 23.29 percent. National turnout in the country of three million people was close to 60%. Pashinyan claimed a “historic victory that will ensure Armenia’s eternity and development” while also vowing to “continue the course of rapprochement with the West” – but while balancing the pursuit of positive relations with Russia. Anadolu/Getty Images: Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan declared victory in the parliamentary elections early Monday morning. Prime Minister Pashinyan has made known his intentions for his country to eventually join the EU. However, Strong Armenia party is claiming that the winning side in reality mounted a campaign of interference and intimidation:  The second-placed Strong Armenia bloc is led by Samvel Karapetyan, a Russian-Armenian billionaire who made his fortune in Russia and is under …

Armenians vote in parliamentary elections seen as ‘referendum on independence’

Armenians vote in parliamentary elections seen as ‘referendum on independence’

Published by Sam Flores

Armenians are voting on Sunday in parliamentary elections as the incumbent government, facing mounting pressure from Russia, seeks to loosen ties with Moscow and deepen cooperation with the West. Speaking to residents, FRANCE 24’s Olivia Bizot said the vote is widely being seen as a “referendum on independence”. One voter described the election as “existential” for Armenia, citing aggressive rhetoric from neighbouring countries. Meanwhile, according to Western intelligence and government officials, Russia has stepped up covert efforts to undermine Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s bid for re-election next month, fearing that a victory could cement the former Soviet republic’s realignment with the West. Keywords for this article Source link

Armenian parliamentary vote will test prime minister’s pivot from Russia

Armenian parliamentary vote will test prime minister’s pivot from Russia

Published by Sam Flores

Armenians began voting Sunday in a parliamentary election that will test the resilience of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s tilt to the West as the country faces threats and allegations of interference from Russia. Armenia and Russia are technically allies, but Moscow has compared the former Soviet republic’s EU ambitions to those of Ukraine – a pro-Western path Russia claims ultimately triggered its 2022 invasion.  In a pointed remark in May, Russian President Vladimir Putin made a blunt comparison: “We all see what is happening with Ukraine now … How did it all begin? With Ukraine’s attempt to join the EU.” To display this content from YouTube, you must enable advertisement tracking and audience measurement. Accept Manage my choices One of your browser extensions seems to be blocking the video player from loading. To watch this content, you may need to disable it on this site. Try again © FRANCE 24 The Kremlin has also been accused of seeking to sway the vote. In the weeks before the vote, Russia banned the import of several products from Armenia – seen as …

Parliamentary elections mark ‘historical moment’ for Armenia, expert says

Parliamentary elections mark ‘historical moment’ for Armenia, expert says

Published by Sam Flores

Armenia’s upcoming parliamentary elections, which could reshape the country’s ties with Russia and the West, mark a “historic moment” for the country, according to Ulrich Schmid, Professor of Eastern European Studies at the University of St Gallen. Incumbent Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is seeking to normalise relations with Turkey and neighbouring Azerbaijan, with which Armenia has been locked in conflict for decades. Keywords for this article Source link

Russian-Led Economic Union Considers Suspending Armenia Over EU Ambitions

Russian-Led Economic Union Considers Suspending Armenia Over EU Ambitions

Published by Sam Flores

By Guy Faulconbridge and Lucy Papachristou MOSCOW, May 29 (Reuters) – A Russian-led economic ⁠union ⁠of former Soviet republics said on Friday ⁠it would consider suspending Armenia for seeking European Union membership and called on Yerevan ​to hold a referendum so its people could vote on which path to take.  Russia, distracted by the war in Ukraine, is trying to ‌keep Armenia in its orbit but Armenian ‌Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who faces an election on June 7, has tried to plot a path westwards while criticising Moscow ⁠in public. After ⁠a meeting in Astana, the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) said it will consider suspending Armenia ​later this year out of concerns its pursuit of EU membership jeopardises the union’s economic security. The leaders of Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus and Kyrgyzstan said that Armenia’s westward integration posed “significant risks to the economic security” of the EAEU, and that its continued membership would be reviewed at the ​group’s next meeting in December. They also called on Yerevan to hold a popular referendum on joining the EU, and …

Kremlin Accuses Armenia of Providing Platform for Ukraine’s Zelenskiy, Agencies Report

Kremlin Accuses Armenia of Providing Platform for Ukraine’s Zelenskiy, Agencies Report

Published by Sam Flores

MOSCOW, May 10 (Reuters) – Russia accused Armenia ⁠on ⁠Sunday of providing Ukrainian ⁠President Volodymyr Zelenskiy with “a platform for anti-Russian remarks”, ​in a further sign of a chill in relations between traditional allies Moscow ‌and Yerevan. On a visit to ‌Yerevan last week, Zelenskiy said Russia feared “drones may buzz ⁠over Red ⁠Square” in Moscow during the annual parade on May 9 ​to commemorate the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two. The parade went ahead as planned on Saturday in a scaled-back ​format without the usual display of military hardware due to the ⁠threat ⁠of Ukrainian drone attacks. Moscow ⁠already summoned ​the Armenian ambassador on Thursday to protest over what it described ​as “terrorist threats against Russia” ⁠made by Zelenskiy in Yerevan. “This is not normal, it is not in keeping with the spirit of our relations with Yerevan,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, according to Russian news agencies. “The main ⁠thing for us is that Armenia does not adopt an anti-Russian ⁠stance,” Peskov said, adding that Russia was awaiting …

Crooning diplomacy: France, Armenia leaders unite over shared icon Charles Aznavour

Crooning diplomacy: France, Armenia leaders unite over shared icon Charles Aznavour

Published by Sam Flores

France’s president donned his crooning hat during a state dinner on Monday, leading Armenian leaders in a rendition of “La Boheme,” the 1965 classic by the late Charles Aznavour, a singer beloved in both countries. Often called France’s Frank Sinatra, Aznavour was born in France to Armenian immigrants, going on to become one of the most iconic voices in French music and a revered figure in the two countries. Aznavour, who died in 2018 at age 94, often served as a cultural bridge between France and Armenia — a role that was on full display at a state dinner held on Monday evening in the Armenian capital in honour of the visiting Macron. In a performance captured in a video posted on social media, Macron launched into a rendition of Aznavour’s classic about youth, love and the passage of time, as he sat behind a piano, microphone in hand. Armenian President Vahagn Khatchatourian stood by his side and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who has recently launched his own band, joined in on drums. Read more‘They are …