Armenian PM frames 2026 polls as fight against foreign-backed forces

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has framed the upcoming 2026 parliamentary elections as a critical opportunity to rid the National Assembly of agents of foreign influence and their leaders, Armenpress reports.

Speaking during a debate on the draft 2026 state budget in the National Assembly, Pashinyan said:

“The citizens of Armenia accuse us of continuing to react to Robert Kocharyan, Serzh Sargsyan, and the forces led by them. With the parliamentary elections approaching, there is a strong likelihood that the forces led by these individuals will not enter parliament. The time has truly come to address this issue.”

The Prime Minister also directed remarks at the opposition, asserting that since 2018, Armenia “has been in the pocket of the very country whose influence agents include the individuals listed.”

By Vafa Guliyeva