Since the beginning of the Karabakh conflict, Armenia has found itself in a difficult situation in the region from all points of view. The country's lack of healthy relations with regional countries can be considered as its decline.

How has Armenia's long-term voluntary blockade in the region affected its socio-economic situation?

Speaking to Ednews about the issue, Armenian political scientist Ishkhan Verdyan talked about how harmful the policy of Armenia in recent years is for the country:

"Armenia is trying to compensate for its voluntary blockade with Russia, on which its entire economy rests. The socio-economic situation in the country has deteriorated not as a result of the blockade, but as a result of widespread corruption and business monopoly, which covers almost the entire spectrum of economic activity in the country. Although Nikol Pashinyan could not put an end to monopolies when he came to power, the economy began to breathe freely. In addition, it has proven that Russia-related logistics can sufficiently support Armenia's economic growth. While Pashinyan has nothing to brag about in the foreign policy arena, his successes in the economic field are obvious in the country."

Commenting on the question of how Armenia's recent weak relations with Russia pose a threat to its economy and politics, the expert noted that if we talk about the negative aspects of Pashinyan's rule, first of all, it should be noted that the country has close foreign trade relations with only a few countries:

"Since the economic security of Armenia depends on Russia, the aggravation of relations with Russia puts Armenia in danger of disintegration. If Russia suddenly decides to punish Armenia for its hostile rhetoric, then it can literally plunge Armenia into the stone age. It is at this moment that the blockade imposed by Armenia will bear its fruit - if the supply of goods from Russia stops, then there will be no alternative to replace the goods. The ongoing hostile policy of the Pashinyan government against Azerbaijan has already blocked all possible options for diversification of economic relations. That is why Pashinyan's unfriendly policy towards Azerbaijan and Russia is confusingly unprofessional. The proverb "Don't cut the branch you are sitting on" characterizes the Prime Minister's behavior very well. If Armenia moves away from Russia without changing anything in its relations with Azerbaijan, the country's situation will worsen."

According to the political scientist, the fact that there are more Armenians in Russia than in Armenia is a controversial statement:

"Nevertheless, the Armenian diaspora in Russia is quite effective and, with rare exceptions, fully supports Russia. It is quite normal for Armenians who lived in Russia to show Russian patriotism. Thus, Russian Armenians are criticizing Nikol Pashinyan's behavior from all possible platforms with clearly unfriendly gestures. Perhaps these people are worried about their future, remembering well the mass deportation of Georgians from Russia in the mid-2000s. Therefore, the Armenians of Russia sharply condemn the Pashinyan regime for pursuing a policy that leads to the weakening of relations with Russia. "Armenians living in Russia are in favor of ending Pashinyan's rule as soon as possible."

Farid Akhund