Expert: Pashinyan`s visit to Russia creates prerequisites for  restoring dialogue, but thaw in relations is more symbolic

ArmInfo.  The very fact of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's working visit to Russia  creates opportunities for restoring Armenian-Russian dialogue, but  it's too early to talk about a real thaw in bilateral relations. This  opinion was shared by political analyst and economist Grant Mikaelyan  in an interview with an ArmInfo correspondent. "The fact of the visit  itself offers certain hope and creates opportunities, given that  Moscow was initially against such a visit. We saw that the previous  meeting between Putin and Pashinyan (on April 1 — Ed.) was not very  successful," Mikaelyan noted.

At the same time, he pointed out that the visit was not accompanied  by a summit-level meeting. "At this moment, such a meeting has not  taken place, and in all likelihood, it will not occur until there are  substantial shifts in relations. These are limited by the  geopolitical framework in which Armenia currently finds itself," the  analyst believes.

According to his assessment, the contacts  between Armenian Prime  Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin  have so far led only to a symbolic improvement in the atmosphere of  bilateral relations. Among the key tasks for Yerevan in its relations  with the Russian Federation, Mikaelyan named the removal of  restrictions for Armenian businesses in the Russian market and the  normalization of economic cooperation.

A symbolic thaw has occurred, and the necessary phrases were uttered  by both sides. But now, it is necessary to achieve concrete results.  It is vital for Armenia to remove barriers to economic access to the  Russian market. This has turned into a serious problem for many in  Armenia," the expert emphasized.

According to the political scientist, it is also important for the  Armenian authorities to gain political legitimacy from Moscow by  recognizing the election results, while the Russian side is  interested in improving the operating conditions for Russian  businesses in Armenia.

The expert also believes it's necessary to change the atmosphere in  bilateral relations. "We need to overcome the unhealthy atmosphere in  which any initiative, any person, anything related to Russia is  immediately interpreted by the Armenian authorities as problematic.  This creates an inappropriate situation, since a significant portion  of Armenia's economy is tied to Russia, and the largest Armenian  diaspora is located there," Mikaelyan stated.

The political scientist also addressed the issue of Armenia's  integration choices, highlighting the problems the country has  encountered within the Eurasian Economic Union.

"We see the flywheel spinning, and Armenia is being asked to  determine its integration status with the Eurasian Economic Union by  December 1st. Russia is insisting not simply on a referendum on EU  membership, but on a vote in which citizens will be offered a  mutually exclusive choice: maintaining membership in the Eurasian  Economic Union or pursuing accession to the European Union," he said.   However, according to Mikaelyan, holding such a referendum under the  current circumstances is not in Armenia's interests.

Summing up, the expert emphasized that real conclusions about the  visit's success can only be drawn once concrete results are seen.   "When there are results in the economic, business, and political  spheres, then we can talk about the success of the visit. At the  moment, I believe it is premature to do so," the political analyst  concluded.

It should be noted that Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan paid  a working visit to Russia on July 6, where he participated in the  INNOPROM-2026 international industrial exhibition in Yekaterinburg  and the plenary session "Industry 360: Production Without Borders."  During the visit, he met with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail  Mishustin. This marks Pashinyan's first visit to Russia since the  2026 parliamentary elections in Armenia and amid tensions in  relations between Moscow and Yerevan.