Grigor Balasanyan: Yerevan has realized that it needs to normalize relations with Moscow

Grigor Balasanyan, an international relations expert and Associate Professor of the Department of International Relations and Diplomacy at Yerevan State University, told Alpha News that Yerevan has finally realized that it needs to normalize relations with Moscow.

“Both internal and external factors contributed to Pashinyan’s arrival in St. Petersburg. In any case, Armenia cannot but be affected by what is happening in the global world, and taking into account the trend that exists today both on the Ukrainian front and in different directions, Armenia understands that relations with Russia need to be normalized,” Balasanyan said.

Our interlocutor stressed that the statements of Alen Simonyan and the Russian ambassador paved the way for Pashinyan’s arrival in St. Petersburg.

“Alen Simonyan said ‘who says that there are anti-Russian sentiments in Armenia’, and the Russian ambassador suddenly started talking about the new agreements on military-technical cooperation. This has prepared the ground for Nikol Pashinyan’s visit. The visit is also significant because it confirms that, at first glance, there are problems with the CSTO, not with the EAEU, but let’s not forget that most of the CSTO member states are EAEU member states. That is, it shows that there are no global, deep problems; there is only resentment. Yerevan understands the tension in interstate relations is a path leading nowhere,” Grigor Balasanyan said.

The international relations expert noted that it was impossible to solve the problems through posts on social media.

“They understood that to resolve problems, they must meet rather than discuss them on Facebook or Twitter without achieving any results. I think that further relations will depend on how the meeting goes. It will become clear after the meeting. I do not think that the meeting of the leaders of Armenia and Russia will take place in particularly tense conditions, although there are problems and issues that need clarification. As for the economy, the Eurasian Development Bank has already announced a 2.3 billion-dollar investment in the Armenian economy. A rather serious and positive basis has been created for holding discussions within the EAEU framework, especially since Armenia is also becoming the presiding country in the EAEU,” he said.

According to Balasanyan, Armenian-Azerbaijani relations and the signing of a peace treaty will inevitably be discussed during the meeting.

“I attach importance to this because it seems that for the first time after a rather long break, the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan will hold a meeting,” Grigor Balasanyan concluded.