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Political analyst Arman Ghukasyan has rejected claims about the diversification of Armenia’s security relations amid a rift with Russia.

At a news conference on Thursday, he accused Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's government of efforts to “deliberately sever ties with Moscow.”

“Remarkably, the Armenian authorities are reorienting the country towards the West, but they want to maintain economic relations with Russia, because they understand perfectly well that the Russian market remains an unequivocal choice for Armenia," the political analyst stated, adding European markets cannot serve as an alternative to Russia due to logistics and other internal regulations.

Ghukasyan highlighted that Armenia's double-digit economic growth (about 9%) by the end of 2023 stemmed from its participation in the EAEU.

He claimed the anti-Russian rhetoric in Armenia ramped up after Pashinyan's trips to Geneva and Paris.

Referring to media reports that the Armenian authorities are planning to apply for membership in the European Union, Ghukasyan said such a policy would lead Armenia to nowhere good.

"We all stand for Armenia's well-being and prosperity, its sovereignty and security, but the steps and policies that are being implemented by the Armenian leadership cannot ensure a good future for the country. These steps more create serious risks and threats for us. The anti-Russian policy has never benefited any country. There are a lot of examples and we just need to look around," the expert underscored.