Moscow turns to Baku as Armenia faces growing trade restrictions

Russia may increasingly turn to Azerbaijan to offset economic losses linked to its deteriorating ties with Armenia, a senior Kremlin envoy said, highlighting a shift in regional trade dynamics amid mounting political tensions.

Boris Titov, the Russian president’s special representative for relations with international organisations for sustainable development, said Moscow could compensate for reduced engagement with Armenia by deepening agricultural cooperation with Azerbaijan.

“Russia will replace what it is losing in Armenia with Azerbaijan, because in agriculture, Azerbaijan can do more and gives more than Armenia,” Titov told RIA Novosti on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) 2026.

He warned that Armenia could face significant economic fallout as its relationship with Russia weakens.

“Destabilisation, economic disorder, rising prices for everything, inflation — these are inevitable things. By destroying the old, you condemn yourself to negative changes. This will affect everything literally. Not only energy, which for them is now much cheaper than in Europe and will inevitably equalise with European prices. It will also affect food supplies and the cost of food on the domestic market of Armenia,” he said.

Titov’s remarks come as Russia has imposed a series of trade restrictions on Armenian goods in recent weeks. Since late May, Russia’s agricultural watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor has banned imports of several products from Armenia, including flowers, mineral water such as Jermuk, vegetables, herbs and strawberries.

On June 1, nearly all live fish and fish products supplied by Armenia were also prohibited from entering the Russian market, according to the regulator.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on June 2 that the government is working to diversify export markets for goods affected by the Russian restrictions.

Relations between Moscow and Yerevan have deteriorated amid Armenia’s growing ties with Western countries and the European Union. In response, Russia and its partners in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), of which Armenia is a member, have called on Yerevan to hold a referendum on its continued membership in the bloc.

Pashinyan has rejected the proposal, stating that there are currently no grounds for holding such a referendum.

By Tamilla Hasanova