The internal political situation in Armenia is encouraging, Director for Europe and Eurasia programs at Freedom House Mark Berendt said in an exclusive interview with the Voice of America.

Berendt said we live in a quite polarized world, in which once one could pursue a multi-vector foreign policy and could have friendly relations with both the West and Russia.

“It is too important that it becomes possible again,” he said.

He also expressed the hope that Armenia, which for security reasons has close relations with Russia givenhe Karabakh conflict, will be able to do this as well.

“I mean that if a new power is formed in Armenia, then even if it is pro-Russian it can establish constructive relations with other countries democratically,” he said.

Berendt said it is also important from a geopolitical point of view that superpowers, for example, the US, the EU, Russia, could give green light to countries of this type to conduct such a foreign policy.

He added it is too early to assess systemic reforms in Armenia, but emphasized that the voluntary resignation of Serzh Sargsyan is undoubtedly a significant fact, and this inspires hope to all those who want to see the reforms.