Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said that many political forces in Armenia are oriented toward constructive cooperation with Russia.

According to her, the two countries are linked by diverse ties, including shared history and civilizational connections, as well as a large Armenian diaspora of around 2 million people in Russia, Sputnik Armenia reports.

“We cannot ignore the processes unfolding in the republic and expect that pro-Russian forces will be able to freely participate in the expression of the will of Armenia’s citizens. This is not about interfering in internal affairs, but about ensuring that Armenian citizens who support ties with Russia can express this freely and democratically,” Zakharova said.

She added that for these political forces, cooperation with Russia is not a business project but a historically established continuation of ties “that simply cannot be severed or abandoned.”

Zakharova also addressed amendments to Armenia’s Electoral Code adopted by parliament in the second and final reading, which ban the use of personal names in party alliance titles. She noted that the Russian side still has questions about the changes and continues to study them.

“The innovations may impose serious restrictions on the naming of political forces participating in elections,” she said.

She emphasized the importance of ensuring that such changes are not used to deliberately restrict opposition forces during the electoral process.

Earlier, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated during a meeting in Moscow with Russian President Vladimir Putin that individuals holding Russian passports cannot participate in Armenia’s elections. He also said there are no political detainees involved in political processes in Armenia.

Putin, in turn, noted that there are many pro-Russian political forces and figures in Armenia, adding that some of them are currently in detention.