Armenian citizens are expected to vote today to elect a new Parliament, in an election considered decisive for the country’s geopolitical orientation. The elections are seen as a test of support for Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his policy of rapprochement with the European Union and the United States, IPN reports, citing Digi24.

According to the international press, the scrutiny takes place in a context marked by tensions in the relationship with the Russian Federation and the consequences of losing the Nagorno-Karabakh region following the conflict with Azerbaijan. After the 2020 war and the complete recapture of the region by Azerbaijan in 2023, the authorities in Yerevan criticized Moscow for the lack of support given to Armenia.

In recent years, the government led by Nikol Pashinyan has intensified relations with the European Union and the United States, even evoking the prospect of Armenia’s accession to the EU.

Russia, which has repeatedly warned about Yerevan’s approach to the West, has imposed trade restrictions on imports of vegetables, fruits, flowers, mineral water, and alcohol from Armenia. And President Vladimir Putin has threatened to suspend gas deliveries at preferential rates. Moscow is Armenia’s main trading partner and the main supplier of energy for this country.

The Armenian Prime Minister, Nikol Pashinyan, presents the parliamentary elections as a choice between consolidating peace with Azerbaijan and the risk of a new military confrontation. His main political adversary, businessman Samvel Karapetian, advocates for maintaining the strategic relationship with Russia and criticizes the rapid rapprochement with the West.

In the elections, 19 parties and electoral blocs participate, competing for the 101 mandates of the Armenian Parliament.