Moscow comments on Gyumri mayor`s Arrest

ArmInfo.  Moscow is closely monitoring the situation in Gyumri, the country's  second-largest city, hosting the 102nd Russian Military Base, the  Russian Consulate General, and branches of Rossotrudnichestvo, as  stated by Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova  during her weekly briefing, in response to a request to assess the  situation in Gyumri.

She added that city authorities are actively developing cooperation  with various regions of the Russian Federation. The diplomat also  mentioned that in August of this year, the Council of CIS Heads of  State awarded Gyumri the honorary title of "City of Labor Glory  1941-1945." "We certainly value Russian- Armenian relations. We  always support all those who uphold the traditionally close ties  between our fraternal peoples," she noted.

Regarding the arrest of Vardan Ghukasyan, the mayor of the city,  Zakharova emphasized that it is an internal matter of Armenia.  "However, we have noticed  that criminal cases have previously been  initiated against the heads of Vanadzor, Berd, Goris, and other  communities, some of whom were arrested. We hope that such processes  will not lead to a breakdown of trust between the judiciary and the  public. In fact, the Armenian Prime Minister has described it as a  systemic issue  in the country. He spoke about this at the Armenian  Democracy Forum," Zakharova said, noting that this topic is  specifically relevant, given that Armenia is entering a new electoral  cycle. She recalled that the country's next parliamentary elections  are scheduled for June 2026.