Vahram Abajyan: Russia no longer associates with Armenia the question of staying in the region

Armenian-Russian relations worsened on both sides, although the initiator was Armenia, Vahram Abajyan, the former ambassador of Armenia to Great Britain, said in an interview with Alpha News.

“Armenian-Russian relations have never been in such a tense and acute state as they are now. There are several reasons, and to understand what is happening in the region, particularly in terms of Armenian-Russian relations, we must consider this issue in three dimensions.

First, we should look at bilateral relations between Armenia and Russia, secondly, regionally, referring to the neighboring countries, and thirdly, globally, because if we don’t imagine what is happening globally, we will hardly understand the big picture.

In the case of bilateral relations, these relations worsened on both sides, although the initiator was Armenia. However, it should be noted that there were changes in Russia’s position as well.

If we talk about Armenia, it is clear that after 2018, the new administration chose a new path, that is, towards Western structures. But if Armenia was thinking of leaving Russia, the CSTO and choosing the western path, then what should replace the CSTO? This is a question for which I don’t have an answer,” Abajyan said.

According to him, Russia no longer associates with Armenia the question of staying in the region.

“If Armenia thinks that agreements with Turkiye or Azerbaijan can replace the security provided by Russia, then we have recently seen what these agreements can lead to. On the other hand, Russia also made a shift towards strengthening relations with Turkiye and Azerbaijan rather than Armenia,” the former ambassador noted.