Prominent Armenian lawmaker Gurgen Arsenian has been appointed as Armenia’s new ambassador to Russia, just days after stepping down from his parliamentary seat. The appointment was formalized on Wednesday when Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturian signed the decree. In a preceding move, the president recalled Vagharshak Harutiunian, who had served as Armenia’s ambassador in Moscow since January 2022.
Arsenian’s appointment had been anticipated for some time, with speculation circulating since last year. In October 2023, Arsenian confirmed that his appointment was awaiting official approval from Moscow, solidifying expectations of his new role.
This diplomatic shift comes at a time of escalating tensions between Armenia and Russia, particularly concerning security matters. Armenia has effectively put its membership in the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) on hold, criticizing the alliance for its failure to safeguard Armenia’s territorial integrity during recent border conflicts with Azerbaijan.
Simultaneously, Yerevan has been strengthening its military ties with Western nations, including France and the United States. Armenia, also a member of the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union, has increasingly voiced its interest in potentially pursuing closer ties with the European Union.
Arsenian, a 64-year-old veteran politician and successful businessman, has been a significant figure in Armenian politics since the country’s independence in 1991. Over the years, he has been affiliated with several major political groups and led his own party to win parliamentary seats in 2003. In the 2021 snap parliamentary elections, Arsenian was re-elected to parliament under the ticket of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s Civil Contract party.
In contrast to many of his colleagues, Arsenian, who served on the parliamentary foreign relations committee, has refrained from publicly criticizing Russia over the past year. Instead, he has advocated for a more nuanced approach to relations with Moscow, urging for mutual understanding between the two nations.
“We should try to understand them and explain [our position] to them so that they can understand us,” Arsenian remarked in reference to the growing rift between Yerevan and Moscow over security concerns. However, in the past, Arsenian has not hesitated to criticize Russia’s perceived attempts to “undermine” Armenia’s efforts to bolster its security.
In his capacity as ambassador-designate last October, Arsenian also voiced opposition to a proposal by another pro-government lawmaker to ban the retransmission of Russian state-controlled TV channels in Armenia, emphasizing the importance of maintaining open communication channels with Moscow.
