Artur Atayev: Russian-Armenian relations are like a mansion without windows and doors but this will not last long

Russian political scientist Artur Atayev commented to Alpha News on the tension in Russian-Armenian relations.

“Russian-Armenian relations have a foundation—a solid foundation. It is a fact that now these relations are like a mansion without windows and doors; it is also a fact that there is a political breeze in the relationship. But I think this will not last long because there are objective factors, such as geopolitics and geography. Armenia is still closer to Russia, both geographically and civilizationally.

I believe that the current political elite of Armenia is more welcoming towards the European Union and the United States. This is only the current policy of Armenia. It can be readjusted as quickly as it was readjusted now,” the expert noted.

Referring to the note of protest to the Russian Ambassador in connection with the Russian TV program, the political scientist said that interest in Russian programs in Armenia has always been and remains high.

“The fact is that since the Soviet period, part of Armenian society has been oriented towards Moscow’s information agenda. I have heard several times reproaches addressed to Russian experts that the information coverage of Armenia, as an ally of the Russian state, is poor. Therefore, interest in prime-time programs that touch on or use someone’s expert opinion is very high. This was before the tension in relations between Russia and Armenia. I think the interest in Pashinyan’s personality is no longer an editorial policy but the formation of a more objective, closer attention to Armenia. In my worldview, on the contrary, it is good that an individual person was so closely and carefully studied by the expert community. Experts are not guided by a political agenda.

Today, Pashinyan is bad. Tomorrow, he may already be good because Pashinyan himself changes his policy very often. His information agenda is unpredictable, like politics in general, so I would not dramatize the situation. It is what it is,” Atayev said.