On May 6, Armenian parliament speaker Alen Simonyan announced that PM Nikol Pashinyan will not be attending Russian President Vladimir Putin’s inauguration for the fifth term, scheduled for Tuesday.

Simonyan stated that Pashinyan will travel to Moscow on May 8 to chair a summit of the leaders of the five ex-Soviet states constituting the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU). He emphasized that Armenia’s participation in this meeting is crucial as it currently holds the rotating presidency of the Russian-led trade bloc.

Whether the Kremlin extended formal invitations to Pashinyan or other foreign leaders for the inauguration ceremony remains unclear. Pashinyan mentioned last month that he has not yet decided whether to attend, citing various factors influencing his decision.

As later confirmed by Yuri Ushakov, the Russian presidential aide on foreign policy, to reporters, following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s inauguration, on May 8, he and Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan will hold a bilateral meeting in Moscow. Yuri Ushakov highlighted that numerous issues have arisen in the relations between Russia and Armenia, which the leaders will openly discuss. Regarding concerns related to the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), Ushakov mentioned that Armenia effectively halted its involvement in the organization while refraining from participating in joint military exercises and planning to reduce financial support. Armenia’s increasing dialogue with Western nations, including considerations for EU membership and intensified NATO engagement, also raised further discussion points. Ushakov emphasized the significance of this bilateral meeting as an opportunity to address and clarify these accumulated issues between Russia and Armenia.