The results of a recent study conducted by the International Republican Institute reflected significant dynamics in the opinions of Armenians regarding their country's diplomatic relations.
According to a survey conducted among more than 1,500 people from December 13 to 22, 2023, 66% of respondents expressed a negative attitude towards the ties between Armenia and Russia. This figure has changed significantly since the last survey in October 2019, when only 6% of respondents rated these relations as bad.
At the same time, Armenians' optimism towards other international partners of the country remains. Thus, 89% of respondents highly appreciate the relations with the United States, while 87% expressed a positive opinion about the ties with the European Union. It is important to note that despite the deterioration in the perception of relations with Russia, 31% of respondents still consider them good.
An interesting aspect of the study is the analysis of Armenia's key political partners. According to the survey, the majority of respondents (61%) consider France their main partner. The United States ranked second (56%), followed by Iran (47%).
However, when it comes to security, Armenian opinions are more evenly distributed. Half of the respondents consider France the most reliable partner in this area, accounting for 50%. 46% claim it is Iran, while another 46% believe it is the United States. In contrast, only 31% of respondents trust Russia in this matter.
BMG reported that Armenian-Russian relations are currently experiencing a crisis. Against the backdrop of growing tension in relations, Armenia informed Russia through official channels of the need to withdraw Russian border guards from the Zvartnots airport in Yerevan, which became another twist exacerbating bilateral contradictions.
