ARMENIA. Yerevan closest to the West
On 23 January, the foreign ministries of the 27 EU countries approved a new EU mission to Armenia, which will include around 400 people.
However, the Armenian authorities don’t seem to stop there. Immediately after the OSCE Permanent Council meetings in Vienna, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan rushed to Brussels.
According to social sources, the Armenian representative insisted that the EU mission, unscheduled and which violated previous agreements made with Azerbaijan-Turkey-Russia, be transformed into a full-fledged military peacekeeping mission, with more than two thousand people.
This contingent is provisionally envisaged not only in the territories of Armenia where armed conflicts have previously occurred, but literally on the entire perimeter of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. According to social media sources close to Russia, Armenia is pushing for the withdrawal of the Russian 102nd base from Gyumri and the complete exclusion of the Russian military presence in Armenia.
And this is precisely the scenario that the pro-Western government of Nikol Pashinyan has been working on since it came to power. It’s no secret that Pashinyan is very close to France.
This is also demonstrated by all the actions of the Armenian number one within the Armenian presence in the CSTO: from the arrest of General Secretary Khachaturov to his recent statements on the refusal to hold joint exercises on the territory of Armenia.
Another sign of Western Armenia’s arrival is the warm welcome received by Nancy Pelosi, former number one in the American Congress.
France and the United States of America host the most important Azerbaijani communities that have a significant influence on US and French politics.
Russia has also somewhat let go of the reins on Armenia since it started construction of gas pipeline with Azerbaijan and since business with Turkey is implemented due to war in Ukraine.
Anna Lotti
