Rustamyan: Armenia must deepen strategic alliance with Russia

PanARMENIAN.Net - Armen Rustamyan, representative of the ARF Bureau, stated that Armenia must strengthen its strategic alliance with Russia and immediately sign a military-political pact with Iran, Sputnik Armenia reports.

According to Rustamyan, Armenia’s current government is facilitating the "Turkification" of Armenians through a policy of concessions, which, under the guise of peace, will only lead to further losses. He asserted that the guarantor of such peace would be the Turkish-Azerbaijani tandem.

"Under the name of peace, we will face new concessions, humiliation, and their consequences. Our task is to bring a turning point to the current situation—Armenians must secure real and irreversible peace. We need a new, skillful foreign policy to restore ties with countries that have an interest in a viable Armenian state. The first of these is Russia, with whom we must reinforce our existing strategic alliance. With Iran, we must urgently establish a military-political alliance based on the principle that an attack on one would be considered an attack on the other. Iran has expressed a clearer stance on the 'Zangezur Corridor' issue than our own government," Rustamyan said.

He added that despite challenges, there is still room for strategic cooperation with the West, as the geopolitical tensions between Russia and the West create new opportunities for Armenia. This, he noted, allows Armenia to engage with major powers while safeguarding national interests.

Rustamyan stressed the need for a new quality government, arguing that the current leadership’s political course contradicts national interests.

"Our alternative approach is based on the belief that the Armenian people have their own sources of power, which we must not allow this government to deplete," he said.

He emphasized the urgent need to restore the damaged Armenia-Artsakh-Diaspora connection and rebuild defense and security structures, as adversaries only understand the language of force. He warned that if Armenia approaches negotiations from a position of weakness, it will continue to face new demands.

On March 6, following the 35th ARF General Assembly, a new Bureau was formed. Armen Rustamyan was elected as its representative, replacing Hakob Ter-Khachaturyan, who had held the position since 2022.