Russia wants all political forces in Armenia to be able to participate in elections, Russian President Vladimir Putin said during a meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan at the Kremlin, APA’s Moscow bureau reports.
He noted that more than 2 million Armenians live in Russia: “A large number of Armenians live in the Russian Federation. There are different ways to count them, but we estimate that it is more than 2 million. In fact, the statistics of the Ministry of Internal Affairs confirm this.”
Putin emphasized that regardless of the outcome of the elections in Armenia, the commitment to building and strengthening Russia-Armenia relations will continue: “Regardless of how the elections in Armenia end, our commitment to building and strengthening Russia-Armenia relations will continue.”
Although Putin did not mention the name of Russian-Armenian businessman Samvel Karapetyan, who is under house arrest in Armenia, he hinted at creating conditions for his participation in parliamentary elections.
In response, Pashinyan noted that it is not possible for Armenians who are citizens of Russia to participate in parliamentary elections in Armenia and hold the post of prime minister.
