‘It’s time to move forward’: Armenians vote in election closely watched by Russia and EU
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.
Voters to choose between pro-Russian opposition and incumbent Nikol Pashinyan, who is more closely aligned with the west
Armenians are going to the polls in an election that could cement the country’s shift towards Europe and away from its traditional alliance with Russia.
Prime minister Nikol Pashinyan’s Civil Contract party enters the vote as the favourite, ahead of three opposition candidates who advocate for closer ties with Moscow. Pashinyan’s main challenger, Samvel Karapetyan, a Russian-Armenian billionaire who built much of his fortune in Russia, has been forced to campaign from house arrest at his mansion outside Yerevan.
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