MOSCOW (Reuters) - Armenia can no longer rely on Russia as its main defence and military partner because Moscow has repeatedly let it down so Yerevan must think about forging closer ties with the United States and France, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said.
Armenia, a tiny former Soviet republic bordered by Georgia, Azerbaijan, Iran and Turkey, has long relied on Russia as a big power ally, though Pashinyan has angered the Kremlin by questioning the foundations of the alliance.
Pashinyan said Armenia should think about what security ties it should build with the United States, France, India and Georgia.
Pashinyan says Russia failed Armenia when Azerbaijan launched a lightning-fast military operation that took back control over the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh enclave, triggering an outflow of ethnic Armenians living there.
Azerbaijan has accused France of sowing the seeds of a new war by supplying arms to Armenia, which is also being courted by the United States.
Persons:
Nikol Pashinyan, Pashinyan, Guy Faulconbridge, Andrew Osborn
Organizations:
Armenian Public, Russian Federation
Locations:
MOSCOW, Armenia, Russia, Moscow, Yerevan, United States, France, Soviet, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkey, India, Israel, Gaza, Soviet Union, Karabakh, South Caucasus