Gyumri’s newly elected mayor says he supports a union state with Russia

Vardan Ghukasyan, the newly elected opposition mayor of Armenia’s second-largest city Gyumri, has said that he is in favour of a union state with Russia  ‘on the principle of Belarus’.

The statement was made in a press briefing on Wednesday, following the first session of the Gyumri City Council after local snap elections were held on 30 March. During the session, Ghukasyan received the votes of the other opposition factions and was appointed mayor.

The ruling Civil Contract party failed to garner over 50% of the votes in the elections, despite receiving the highest total, and boycotted the council’s first session. That day, Civil Contract’s mayoral candidate Sarik Minasyan wrote on Facebook that the governance of Gyumri ‘is doomed to fail, and a crisis is inevitable’, highlighting the need for a new snap election.

Armenia’s ruling Civil Contract party appears to lose two local snap elections

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan congratulated the winners.

OC MediaArshaluys Barseghyan

On Wednesday, when asked if he was in favour of the idea of ​​a union state between Armenia and Russia or if he considered independence an absolute value, Ghukasyan praised Russia’s role in Armenia’s history, especially in terms of helping preserve Armenia’s current territory.

He also recalled Armenian historical figures who praised Russia and who saw Armenia’s salvation through unification with Russia.

Comparing Armenia’s history within the Ottoman Empire to that of its history under the Soviet Union, Ghukasyan claimed that ‘whatever was built [in Armenia] was built during those 75 years’.

‘If the Russians hadn’t come, we wouldn’t have the 29,800sq km area we have now, and the Russians kept it’, Ghukasyan said.

Calling himself ‘pro-Armenian’ and a real patriot, Ghukasyan insisted that his way of thinking was ‘very correct’.

Ghukasyan elaborated that he sees the union as a way for Armenia to be able to ‘preserve’ what it currently has. He suggested taking into account Armenia’s neighbours, Azerbaijan and Turkey, claiming they ‘will’ attack Armenia with devastating consequences, insisting that Armenia needed ‘a country we can rely on’.

However, Ghukasyan noted that a union state with Russia should be on the condition of preserving Armenia’s independence and sovereignty.

Cornered by questions regarding such independence, Ghukasyan suggested looking at Belarusian President Aliaksandr Lukashenka — ‘Now is Lukashenka the one sitting comfortably now, or is it your other countries?’, Ghukasyan asked.

He reaffirmed the promises he had made during the pre-election campaign, saying that he would bring Russian investments to Gyumri to ‘solve issues’ of the hospital and factories.

‘You will see — all of that will happen’, Ghukasyan said.

Ghukasyan was the mayor of Gyumri from 1999–2012, and was a member of the formerly ruling Republican Party (2006–2017), during which time the city saw a rise in crimes involving either him or his family members.

From 2017–2019, he served as an MP representing the Prosperous Armenia party, while in the Gyumri elections, he was the nominee of the Communist Party.

Gyumri’s former mayor arrested on weapons charges, released ahead of local elections

The incident took place prior to the Gyumri elections, scheduled to be held on 30 March.

OC MediaArshaluys Barseghyan