Expert: Pashinyan's Washington trip gave no answers to key questions

Political analyst Suren Sargsyan reiterated that Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's visit to Washington was primarily aimed at ascertaining whether the Trump administration would continue providing him with the same political support he received from the Biden administration.

Pashinyan met with U.S. Vice President James David Vance during his week-long visit to Washington.

"Pashinyan could have obtained an answer to this question from those who make political decisions in Washington, particularly the president, secretary of state, national security advisor, secretary of defense, senior State Department officials and the leadership of the intelligence community, among others,” the expert wrote on Facebook on Saturday.

He claimed that meetings with the House speaker and the Senate majority leader could have been crucial, given their influence on decision-making processes.

“Pashinyan did not meet with any of these key officials. While Vice President Vance is a respected politician with a promising future, he is not a decision-maker and likely lacks insight into the Trump administration’s policy towards Armenia. This situation is akin to a foreign leader attempting to resolve a political issue with Armenia by meeting with the country’s president,” Sargsyan explained.

"Therefore, the visit did not provide answers to Pashinyan’s key questions, which I had previously outlined. He returned from Washington without a clear understanding of what to expect from the new administration, including its stance on the U.S.-Armenia Strategic Partnership Charter.

"One thing is certain: this visit did not reflect the nature of strategic partnership. It was poorly timed, lacked essential meetings and sent the wrong messages. Politically, it failed to bring tangible benefits to Armenia and dealt a blow to Pashinyan’s standing,” Sargsyan noted.