During his press briefing today, Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan made several major geopolitical, economic, and regional announcements:

Key Takeaways

• Removal of Russia as a "Strategic Ally": Pashinyan confirmed that Russia has been explicitly omitted as a strategic partner in Armenia's newly approved 2026–2031 government program. He justified the decision by pointing directly to the failure of Russia and the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) to fulfill their security obligations to Armenia during the events of September 2022.
• Potential Electricity Imports from Azerbaijan: In a major regional connectivity disclosure, Pashinyan stated that Armenia is exploring additional energy options, which include importing electricity from neighboring Azerbaijan, Türkiye, Iran, and Georgia. He cited the country's surging power demands driven by heavy investments in the artificial intelligence sector.
• Analyzing U.S. Sanctions on Iran: Commenting on trade with Tehran, Pashinyan noted that Armenia is actively analyzing the scope and risks of newly implemented U.S. sanctions against Iran. He emphasized that Yerevan is consulting with international partners to manage trade in a way that minimizes economic fallout, drawing comparisons to how Armenia managed previous sanctions on Russia.
• Asset Recovery Against Former Leaders: Pashinyan reiterated that the government is aggressively pursuing a political objective to return allegedly illicitly acquired wealth from former presidents Robert Kocharyan and Serzh Sargsyan "penny by penny" to the state. He added that they "must live on their pensions and legal income".