Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan was hopeful for normalization of relations with Türkiye as he cast his vote in his country’s parliamentary elections on Sunday
Speaking with journalists after casting his ballot in the country's parliamentary elections, he expressed confidence that the border with Türkiye, as well as railway and road communications, will open in the near future.
"We currently, fortunately, have peace with Azerbaijan. You know that we have very deep and fraternal relations with Georgia. And, of course, I expect the normalization of relations with Türkiye and the establishment of diplomatic relations," he said. He also highlighted Armenia's "Crossroads of Peace" initiative, saying it could transform the region by expanding east-west and north-south transport routes benefiting Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Türkiye, and Iran.
Armenia opened polling stations on Sunday at 8 a.m. local time for voting in the parliamentary elections. Sixteen political parties and two political alliances have registered to take part in the election, including the Civil Contract, led by Pashinyan.
Pashinyan also said Yerevan will deepen EU integration and continue a "balanced foreign policy" after the elections.
He underlined that Armenia will continue the process of alignment with EU standards.
"When Armenia is fully and sincerely aligned with the standards of the European Union, two scenarios are possible. The first is that the European Union will accept Armenia as a full member. The second is that it will not, because that depends on many political circumstances; for example, the EU may decide not to expand at all," he said, adding that in both cases, Armenia will benefit, because even without membership, it will have a state aligned with European standards.
Asked about balancing relations between the EU and Russia, Pashinyan said his administration will continue to adhere to a balanced foreign policy.
He also noted that he does not see any tension in relations with Russia and described such claims as "artificial."
"Certain forces operating in Armenia are trying to create tensions in Armenia-Russia relations. These tensions are not created for the simple reason that I have very close relations with the president of the Russian Federation," he noted.
