Armenia–Russia relations

Armen Grigoryan, Secretary of Armenia's Security Council, made a stark assessment days after Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan raised doubts about Armenia's role in the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), dominated by Russia.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan have reiterated their commitment to the normalization of bilateral relations during a recent telephone conversation.

Armenia has declared its intention to withdraw from the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), a defense alliance formed in 1992 among former Soviet republics with Russia at its core. The CSTO currently comprises Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Armenia.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has stressed the need to abandon the far-right dream of establishing a "historic Armenia" based on the belief that previously inhabited lands should be reclaimed, expressing willingness to create a more realistic political roadmap.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has agreed to withdraw Russian troops and border guards from various parts of Armenia, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced. The decision came following a bilateral meeting between Putin and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in Moscow.

Russia has agreed to remove some of its troops and border guards from Armenia, the Kremlin said on Thursday, after months of spiralling tensions between the two ex-Soviet allies.

The recent visit by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to Athens and the subsequent visit by Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias to Yerevan comes as a result of the boost in bilateral relations, while diplomatic circles stress that the strengthening of cooperation between the two countries affects the wider regional dynamics. 

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitstoakis has said that Greece wants to help traditional ally Armenia shift alliances westward, arguing that improved ties with the European Union would boost stability in the troubled Caucasus region.

"The Rome Statute, which established the International Criminal Court, officially enters into force for Armenia on February 1," Armenian representative for legal affairs Yeghisheh Kirakosyan told Agency France-Presse.

Armenia announced today that it will host joint military exercises with the United States next week, likely to irritate Russia, Reuters reported.

The Armenian Defense Ministry said the purpose of the "Eagle Partner 2023" exercise, which will take place from September 11 to 20, is to prepare Armenian forces to participate in international peacekeeping missions.