Bloomberg highlights Armenia's western outreach

PanARMENIAN.Net - Armenia is sending its Security Council secretary to a conference dedicated to Ukraine’s reconstruction, a move that underscores Yerevan’s distancing from Russia amid growing economic pressure from Moscow on its ally, Bloomberg reported.

According to the publication, delegations from around 100 countries are expected to attend the event, which is being jointly organized by Poland and Ukraine, Aysor.am writes.

Bloomberg noted that the visit comes as the European Union takes steps to mitigate the impact of Russian trade restrictions imposed on Armenia. According to the publication, this coincides with intensified efforts by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s government to deepen relations with Brussels.

The article states that Russia’s agricultural oversight agency began imposing restrictions on certain imports from Armenia on May 30. Those measures were later expanded to cover a significant portion of Armenian food products, flowers, alcoholic beverages, seeds and fertilizers.

Bloomberg reported that Armenian officials have characterized the restrictions as politically motivated.

The publication also referred to the parliamentary elections held on June 7, noting that they were widely viewed as a test of public support for Prime Minister Pashinyan’s pro-European policies. According to the article, the Civil Contract party received 49.81 percent of the vote and secured a third term in power, defeating an opposition widely described as pro-Russian.

Bloomberg further highlighted Russia’s position, noting that the Kremlin has drawn parallels between Armenia’s European aspirations and Ukraine’s experience.

“Yerevan should take into account certain circumstances that are important both for us and for our partners,” the publication quoted Russian President Vladimir Putin as saying in May.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky declined to travel to the Polish city of Gdansk, where the conference on Ukraine-related issues will take place. According to the report, the reason was a controversy related to the revocation of the Polish Order of the White Eagle. Ukraine will instead be represented at the conference by Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko.