Yerevan warns of external influence threats ahead of parliamentary vote

Kristinne Grigoryan, Chief of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Armenia, has presented the key findings of the agency’s annual report, outlining both the current security environment and emerging challenges facing the country.

Grigoryan noted that the probability of an escalation between Armenia and Azerbaijan is currently assessed as extremely low. However, she cautioned that the approach of the 2026 parliamentary elections is likely to increase the risks of external interference in Armenia’s internal political processes, Caliber.Az reports, citing Armenian media.

“Electoral processes have traditionally served as fertile ground for external actors seeking to expand their influence,” Grigoryan noted, commenting on the relevant section of the report.

When addressing hybrid threats confronting Armenia, the intelligence chief refrained from identifying specific states, but underscored that such activities are systemic in nature and conducted in a deliberate and targeted manner.

Concluding her remarks, Grigoryan said that from a military and political stability perspective, 2026 could be relatively safer. Nevertheless, she emphasized that significant risks to democratic processes and the safeguarding of the country’s institutional resilience will remain.

By Vafa Guliyeva