Armenien

The ruling Civil Contract party is forecast to secure about half of the nation’s votes this Sunday, while its primary opposition led by Samvuel Karapetyan, Strong Armenia, is polling to get 19 percent of the vote. The incumbent prime minister, while in the race for re-election, has faced harsh criticism for arresting various members of the church, as well as the leader of the largest opposition party, Karapetyan.

Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan have issued an ultimatum to Armenia, threatening to suspend its membership in the Moscow-led Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) amid tensions over Armenia’s push to join the European Union. A joint declaration published on the Kremlin website claims that Armenian preparations for EU membership would endanger the “economic security" of the remaining member states.

Armenians face a febrile campaign but feel the benefits of improved security since hostilities with Azerbaijan ended.

The United States pledged Tuesday, May 26, to move forward with Armenia on a planned corridor connecting parts of rival Azerbaijan, during a lightning visit by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. 

Today, the European Union and Armenia held their first ever Summit in Yerevan, reinforcing cooperation in the areas of connectivity, security and defence, economic development and people-to-people contacts. … On security and defence, leaders welcomed the establishment of an EU Partnership Mission in Armenia. Upon the request of Armenia, the EU will help enhancing Armenia's resilience. Additionally, the Armenian Armed Forces received the first deliveries of EU assistance under the European Peace Facility, with a total value of EUR 30 million.

[…] The Special Representative exchanged views with his interlocutors on a range of topics, such as the continued development of NATO’s partnership with Armenia, regional security including hybrid threats, connectivity, and the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process.

[…] The mission will support Armenia facing multi-layered threats such as foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI), cyber-attacks and illicit financial flows. EUPM Armenia will provide strategic advice and capacity building to various ministries and national institutions on the development of policies to address threats faced by society and national institutions, and support the development of a horizontal, whole-of-government approach. 

Anticipating that US attention could be focused on Iran and the Persian Gulf for a long time, Armenia is seeking to attract additional investors in TRIPP, the planned trade corridor that Yerevan foresees as a cornerstone of its economic future. … The project, the centerpiece of the provisional Armenian-Azerbaijani peace deal signed last August in Washington, would connect Azerbaijan and its Nakhchivan exclave via a 42-kilometer land bridge across Armenia’s Syunik province.

Brussels will provide pre-election support to help Yerevan counter foreign interference, following a model the EU previously used in Moldova.

Armenians will head to the polls on June 7 to elect all 101 members of parliament, a vote with critical regional and geopolitical consequences.