Newspaper: Moscow remains skeptical of Pashinyan’s overtures, delays Matviyenko’s visit

Amid shifting geopolitical dynamics, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has reportedly made efforts to restore ties with Russia, but Moscow remains unconvinced. 

According to the Yerevan-based Hraparak daily, quoted by Caliber.Az, despite Pashinyan’s attempts to re-engage, the Kremlin is demanding concrete actions before fully resuming cooperation. One indication of this cautious stance is the postponement of Russian Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko’s visit to Yerevan, which was initially planned for late February but has now been rescheduled for June 5-6. The delay was announced by Armenian National Assembly Speaker Alen Simonyan.

Russian state agency TASS previously reported that Matviyenko's visit was aimed at giving “a new impetus” to Russian-Armenian relations, the newspaper notes.

However, according to Hraparak, the delay signals Moscow’s scepticism towards Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s recent attempts to mend ties with Russia. The newspaper, citing sources within the ruling Civil Contract party, claims that following recent geopolitical shifts, Pashinyan has been seeking to rebuild relations with Moscow. He reportedly instructed all state agencies to restore interdepartmental contacts and actively participate in bilateral events.

Despite this, Russia remains unconvinced by what the paper describes as Pashinyan’s “tears” and is demanding concrete actions before committing to closer engagement. One key condition allegedly set by Moscow is the cancellation of the proposed European integration referendum in Armenia. According to Hraparak, this demand is linked to the recent postponement of the second reading of the referendum bill, and there is speculation that it may be scrapped entirely.

The delay in Matviyenko’s visit underscores Russia’s wait-and-see approach toward Armenia’s shifting foreign policy, as Moscow assesses whether Pashinyan’s recent outreach reflects a genuine recalibration or merely a temporary maneuver.

By Tamilla Hasanova