PM Modi congratulates Armenian PM on election win, vows deeper ties

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan on his Civil Contract Party's victory in the parliamentary elections, highlighting the renewed mandate and reaffirming India's commitment to deepening ties between the two nations.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday congratulated Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on the latter's Civil Contract Party's "impressive victory" in the parliamentary elections, saying he looks forward to working closely to further deepen ties. In a post on X, Prime Minister Modi said the renewed mandate reflected the trust and confidence reposed by the people of Armenia in Pashinyan's leadership and vision.

"Congratulations to Mr. Nikol Pashinyan on the impressive victory of the Civil Contract Party in the parliamentary elections. The renewed mandate reflects the enduring trust and confidence of the people of Armenia in your leadership and vision," the post read. The Prime Minister reaffirmed India's commitment to enhancing cooperation with Armenia and highlighted the longstanding friendship between the two nations.

"I look forward to working closely with you to further deepen the warm and historic ties of friendship and cooperation between India and Armenia," the post added.

Civil Contract Party Secures Victory

According to Al Jazeera, citing preliminary results released by Armenia's Central Election Commission (CEC), Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's Civil Contract Party has secured victory in the country's parliamentary elections, with the results showing that the Civil Contract Party won 49.81 per cent of the vote, comfortably ahead of the opposition Strong Armenia alliance, which secured 23.29 per cent. The election was widely viewed as a test of public support for Pashinyan's policies, including efforts to advance a peace agreement with Azerbaijan and deepen Armenia's engagement with Western institutions while reducing its dependence on Russia, Al Jazeera reported.

According to figures released by the CEC today, voter turnout in the nation of around three million people exceeded 58 per cent.

Pashinyan's Mandate for Foreign Policy Shift

Pashinyan has sought a fresh mandate to reshape Armenia's foreign policy orientation, pursuing closer ties with the European Union and distancing the country from its traditional ally, Russia.

The Strong Armenia bloc, which finished second, is led by businessman Samvel Karapetyan, a Russian-Armenian billionaire currently under house arrest on charges related to allegedly advocating the overthrow of the government. Karapetyan has denied the allegations and described them as politically motivated, Al Jazeera reported.

Allegations of Electoral Violations

Meanwhile, Armenia's Investigative Committee said it had launched 59 criminal cases linked to alleged electoral violations and had detained nine individuals as part of ongoing enquiries.

Preliminary results also showed that two other opposition groups crossed the threshold required to enter parliament. The Armenia Alliance, led by former President Robert Kocharyan, secured 9.9 per cent of the vote, while the Prosperous Armenia Party won 4 per cent, according to the CEC, as reported by Al Jazeera. (ANI)

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