Armenia may send former NATO envoy as ambassador to Russia

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has reportedly decided to appoint 67-year-old Samvel Mkrtchyan as Armenia’s next ambassador to Russia, Armenian media outlets reported, citing their own sources.

Mkrtchyan previously served as Armenia’s official representative to NATO from 2004 to 2010 and was Armenia’s ambassador to Poland from 2018 to 2023. A significant part of his diplomatic career was spent in European countries.

“Sending a diplomat who worked for many years in the West, and especially at NATO, to Russia is quite a bold move,” Armenian media reported.

Russia is also preparing to send a new ambassador to Armenia in January, according to the reports. If the two countries fail to agree on the candidates and mutually approve their credentials, the situation could further deepen the crisis in Armenian-Russian relations.

By Tamilla Hasanova