Putin-Pashinyan meeting: Tough talks expected in Bishkek

Tensions are expected to be very high at the meeting between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Bishkek.

TodayPress TV, citing Publika.az, reports that Grigor Balasanyan, Associate Professor at the Department of International Relations and Diplomacy of the Faculty of International Relations at Yerevan State University and PhD in History, told Sputnik Armenia.

A day earlier, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russian President Vladimir Putin would use the opportunity of his meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in Bishkek to discuss Yerevan’s aspirations to join the European Union. On August 24, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced in parliament that Yerevan would soon begin preparing its application for EU membership.

Balasanyan noted that statements made by Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova ahead of the meeting between the two leaders were not accidental:

“There is quite a difficult conversation ahead, although it will take place behind closed doors, not in front of the press. The Russian Foreign Ministry’s recent comments regarding the Armenian prime minister indicate precisely this. The Foreign Ministry’s spokeswoman does not make such statements ahead of a visit.”

The expert noted that it would be difficult to expect any significant positive changes in Armenian-Russian relations following the meeting between Pashinyan and Putin.

“For example, the opening of the Russian market to Armenian goods or the resolution of other similar issues,” the expert said.

Commenting on Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov’s statement, “We cannot be more Armenian than the Armenians themselves,” Balasanyan noted that it could be interpreted in different ways.

“This could be perceived as a warning of a tougher response, but at the same time, it could also be a message directly addressed to Armenian society. If people are constantly protesting and dissatisfied with the government’s policies, they should not put all the blame on Moscow or expect it to intervene and solve every problem. I think this is precisely what Peskov meant by saying, ‘We cannot be more Armenian than the Armenians themselves,’” he said.