Putin-Pashinyan meeting could determine future format of relations: Artur Ataev

Political analyst Artur Ataev commented to Alpha News on what to expect from the meeting between Vladimir Putin and Nikol Pashinyan.

In the expert’s view, the key issues may concern Russian Railways, the concession, and Gazprom Armenia.

“I assume this will be a stocktaking of political relations that will move into the economic sphere. The key issue being discussed right now is Russian Railways, the concession, and possibly also Gazprom Armenia. I think the agenda here is extremely narrow. That is, this will be an area of basic decisions, after which, at a lower level, most likely at the level of deputy prime ministers, or heads of federal government bodies on the Russian side and executive bodies on the Armenian side, political and economic bargaining will follow,” Ataev said.

According to the expert, the further development of relations could follow one of two scenarios, ranging from a long-term cooling to a final political and economic separation.

“The first option for the development of relations is more of a long-term scenario – a cooling of relations – while the second scenario is that this meeting could possibly serve as a push toward a final political and economic split between Russia and Armenia. Unfortunately, neither scenario has a positive agenda, that’s a fact,” the expert concluded.