Gurgen Arsenyan, a prominent Armenian pro-government lawmaker, has resigned from his parliamentary seat, sparking further speculation that he will be appointed Armenia’s new ambassador to Russia.
Movses Harutiunian, an aide to Parliament Speaker Alen Simonian, confirmed to RFE/RL’s Armenian Service on Tuesday that Arsenyan’s resignation letter had already been received.
Simonian stated last month that Armenia had already selected its new ambassador to Russia and was awaiting Moscow’s approval. “I hope we will soon have a new ambassador [to Russia],” he said, without giving the name.
Earlier reports had suggested Arsenyan was being considered for the position. Arsenyan himself confirmed this in October 2023, noting that “the documents are in Russia.”
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When RFE/RL’s Armenian Service inquired about the delay in obtaining Moscow’s approval for Arsenyan’s nomination, Armenia’s Foreign Ministry provided no clear explanation. It described the ambassadorial accreditation process as “a diplomatic procedure of a non-public nature,” and stated that “the public will be informed in due course once the results are summarized.”
Armenia’s current ambassador to Russia, Vagharshak Harutiunian, was appointed to the position in January 2022.
The possible appointment of Arsenyan, a veteran politician and affluent business owner, as Armenia’s next ambassador to Russia comes at a time when tensions between Yerevan and Moscow are mounting over security issues.
Armenia has effectively frozen its membership in the Collective Security Treaty Organization, accusing the Russian-led alliance of failing to protect its territorial integrity during recent border clashes with Azerbaijan. At the same time, Yerevan has strengthened its military ties with Western nations, including France and the United States. Additionally, Armenia, which is also a member of the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union, has recently become more vocal about its potential bid to join the European Union.