Armenia votes in test of PM Pashinyan's pivot away from Russia
AI Summary
Armenia held parliamentary elections on Sunday as a geopolitical referendum, with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan—leading in polls—seeking to strengthen ties with the European Union and United States while loosening Armenia's traditional dependence on Russia. Russia responded by applying economic coercion, including boycotts of Armenian goods and threats of gas cutoffs, to maintain its influence over the former Soviet republic.
Armenians voted in a parliamentary election on Sunday as the incumbent government, under mounting Russian pressure, sought to loosen ties with Moscow and deepen cooperation with the West.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his governing Civil Contract party are looking for a strong mandate for a new geopolitical course for Armenia.
The opposition they face includes some parties that are vocally pro-Russia.
FRANCE 24's Olivia Bizot reports from Yerevan. ...