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A total of 22,000 Armenian citizens received Russian passports in the first three months of 2023, political analyst Timofei Bordachev, program director of the Valdai Discussion Club, told a discussion in Yerevan on Saturday.

He described Armenian-Russian relations as “hybrid, complex and mixed”. The expert highlighted that more than 2 million Armenians live in Russia.

"22,000 Armenian citizens were granted Russian citizenship in the first three months of this year alone, which is the second highest figure,” Bordachev said. "Hybridity also shapes the foreign policy of our countries, which is completely independent and aimed at the realization of their own political tasks, survival and development."

He states Armenia has always pursued a multi-vector foreign policy, while Russia has embarked on such a policy in recent years.

"In recent years, Russia has sought to develop relations with all countries in an effort to reduce the negative impact of the economic war declared by the West,” the expert stressed.

Bordachev recalled that Russia had agreed to co-finance the construction of a railroad section in northern Iran, from Astara on the Azerbaijani border to the city of Rasht.

Explaining the term "hybrid," he noted, "Hybridity is manifested by our fantastic connections and autonomy, in terms of conducting our own foreign and defense policy and, ultimately, taking responsibility for our actions.”