Armenian PM Pashinyan Resigns in Procedural Move

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his entire cabinet officially resigned on Sunday, Aug. 2, in a mandatory procedural step following the convening of the newly elected parliament. Pashinyan announced the resignation in a video address, confirming he had signed and submitted the formal request to the president.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. Under the Armenian Constitution, the incumbent government must step down on the first day of the new National Assembly’s session. According to Armenpress, the president will then appoint a prime minister based on the nomination of the parliamentary majority. The current cabinet members will continue to perform their duties in an acting capacity until the new government is formed. Pashinyan is fully expected to be re-appointed to the position. His ruling Civil Contract party secured a parliamentary majority in the June 7 elections, winning 49.7% of the vote and defeating the pro-Russian Strong Armenia party, led by billionaire Samvel Karapetyan, which garnered 23.3%. Elections endorse western pivot amid Russian pressure The June parliamentary elections were widely viewed as a referendum on Pashinyan’s overarching strategic vision following Armenia’s 2020 military defeat and the subsequent loss of Nagorno-Karabakh in 2023. His platform prioritized normalizing relations with neighboring Azerbaijan and Turkey, deepening ties with the EU, and reducing Yerevan’s historical overreliance on Russia. The election results were perceived as a significant geopolitical setback for Moscow, which had reportedly engaged in extensive disinformation campaigns to bolster pro-Russian candidates. Other Topics of Interest Latvia Closes Belarus Border Latvia temporarily closed its border with Belarus on Friday evening following an information system failure at the Pāternieki border checkpoint. In response to Pashinyan’s victory and Armenia’s continued pivot toward the West, Russia imposed a range of trade restrictions on Armenian imports, targeting agricultural products, alcohol, and mineral water. Moscow also warned that Armenia could face further economic consequences, including the potential loss of trade benefits within the Eurasian Economic Union. To counteract the Kremlin’s economic coercion, the European Union has stepped in with financial assistance. In late June, the European Commission disbursed €34 million ($39 million) to Armenia to help offset the impact of the Russian trade embargo on the country’s private sector. The financial aid is part of a broader €50 million ($57.6 million) support package announced by Brussels ahead of the elections, designed to help stabilize Armenia’s economy as it seeks to expand market access for its producers in Europe and beyond. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 97% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.