Ani Grigoryan
Armenia’s ruling Civil Contract party has recast its foreign policy in its election program ahead of parliamentary elections slated for June 7, 2026, no longer presenting relations with Russia as a strategic alliance and instead placing a peace agenda at the center of its platform.
The new document presents what it calls the “institutionalization of peace” as its first and overarching priority, framing both foreign policy and regional engagement around achieving and sustaining a peace agreement with Azerbaijan. It outlines plans to continue border delimitation, finalize and ratify a peace treaty, and advance regional connectivity initiatives.
This marks a clear break from the party’s 2021 program, adopted before snap elections held in the aftermath of Armenia’s defeat in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war. At the time, Civil Contract anchored its foreign policy in its alliance with Russia, pledging to deepen strategic ties and describing the Moscow-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) as a key pillar of Armenia’s security system.
In the 2026 program, that framing has been removed. Armenia’s CSTO membership is described as frozen, with no plans to restore active participation. Relations with Russia are no longer presented as a strategic alliance but as being in a phase of “constructive transformation,” signaling a downgrade in how the partnership is defined.
The shift follows growing tensions with Moscow. After Azerbaijan’s attack on Armenia’s sovereign territory in September 2022 and the subsequent occupation of parts of it, Yerevan froze its participation in the CSTO, citing the bloc’s failure to provide military and political support.
At the same time, Armenia has moved closer to the European Union. Since early 2023, EU civilian monitors have been deployed along the Armenia-Azerbaijan border, while political ties between Yerevan and Brussels have deepened. The new program reflects that trajectory. While the 2021 platform focused on implementing the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA) and pursuing visa liberalization, the 2026 program states that Armenia will continue reforms to meet EU membership criteria and could apply for full membership if those standards are met.
Foreign policy is now framed as a “balanced and balancing” approach, aimed at developing ties with both regional and global partners. The program also highlights cross-border contacts, trade, and humanitarian dialogue with Azerbaijan as tools to sustain peace.
The shift in foreign policy is mirrored in the party’s defense doctrine. In 2021, modernization of the armed forces was expected to rely primarily on Russian support. The 2026 program instead emphasizes the development of a domestic military-industrial complex, local production, and the gradual introduction of a comprehensive defense system, without naming any specific partner country. In recent years, Armenia has diversified its arms imports, procuring weapons mainly from India, France, and other countries, whereas previously the overwhelming share of imports came from Russia.
The role of the military is also redefined. The army is described as a backup tool for ensuring external security, to be used only when diplomatic and other means fail. The program states that the armed forces should serve exclusively to defend Armenia’s internationally recognized territory.
On regional connectivity, the new program prioritizes the TRIPP initiative, a project aimed at reopening regional transport links and enabling cross-border connectivity, including routes through Armenia, as part of broader efforts to promote trade and stability.
Nagorno-Karabakh, once central to Armenia’s political agenda, is absent from the new program. The document does not use the terms Nagorno-Karabakh or “forcibly displaced,” avoiding language that implies coercion, and instead refers more generally to “displaced” persons from the region. References to self-determination, Artsakh, and the now-defunct OSCE Minsk Group, which were present in 2021, have been dropped. The issue is framed primarily in social terms, including a commitment to provide housing for 10,000 families.
Taken together, the changes in Civil Contract’s 2026 election program reflect a broader reorientation of Armenia’s foreign policy away from a Russia-centered security model toward a peace-first agenda and more diversified international partnerships.
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