At Monday’s session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), French delegate Christophe Chaillou stated that Russia is trying to exert political and economic pressure on Armenia, and also noted that European countries must resist external interference.

First, Chaillou thanked PACE rapporteur Damien Cottier for the report prepared on the results of the observation of the parliamentary elections in Armenia on June 7 and noted that he personally participated in the election observation mission.

At the same time, Chaillou recorded several issues that, in his opinion, are of particular importance in the context of the elections and the domestic political situation in Armenia.

The PACE member stated that Armenia continues to face trade restrictions imposed by Russia, as well as the Kremlin's attempts to exert influence on the country. Also, he linked the increase in tension to the spread of disinformation. According to the PACE delegate, disinformation has become a common phenomenon and has contributed to this tension.

At the same time, Chaillou noted that the main conditions for holding free, transparent, and pluralistic elections in Armenia have been met. Also, in his opinion, the aforesaid PACE report rightly draws attention to the polarization of public and political discussions in Armenia.

Chaillou paid special attention to external interference in the electoral process in Armenia, and he called on PACE to give a clear assessment of this phenomenon. In his opinion, Russia is exerting pressure on Armenia also through energy. In addition, he stated that the Russian leadership is multiplying the number of provocations against the Armenian government.

As an example, Chaillou mentioned the Russian leadership telling Armenia to hold a referendum on membership in the European Union. Chaillou stated that, in his opinion, European countries should show solidarity with Armenia. According to the PACE member, this is regarding actions that he assesses as attempts to destabilize the country.

At the same time, Chaillou noted that countering external interference in Armenia should not be limited to the information sphere and economic means. The PACE delegate welcomed the European Union's decision to provide Armenia with new trade opportunities.

In his opinion, the events taking place around Armenia demonstrate the need for European countries to strengthen their own sovereignty in various domains. In summing up, Christophe Chaillou noted that the conclusions of the PACE report should be considered not only in the context of Armenia.