Zakhrova Comments on Gyumri Mayor Vardan Gukasian's Arrest

The official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakhrova, commented on the arrest of Gyumri Mayor Vardan Gukasian during a weekly briefing, answering a question from one of the media outlets.

“Moscow is closely monitoring the situation in Armenia's second-largest city. It is home to the Russian 102nd military base, the Russian consulate, and a branch of Rossotrudnichestvo. The city authorities are actively developing cooperation with various regions of the Russian Federation. This includes the well-known ‘Honor Hill’ memorial dedicated to Russian soldiers who fell during the Russian-Turkish wars,” she stated.

She drew attention to the fact that in August, Gyumri was awarded the honorary title of “City of Labor Glory for 1941-45” by the Council of Heads of CIS States. “Of course, we are careful regarding Russian-Armenian relations and always support those who advocate for the traditional close ties between our peoples. Regarding the assessments of the mayor's arrest, this is certainly Armenia's internal affair. At the same time, we note that earlier criminal cases were initiated against leaders from Vanadzor, Berd, Goris, and other communities, some of whom were arrested. We hope that such trials will not lead to a rupture in the connection between the judicial system and the people, and a decline in trust towards it, as recently stated by the Prime Minister of Armenia. He spoke about this at the ‘Armenian Democracy Forum’,” Zakhrova said.

According to her, all these issues are particularly relevant considering that Armenia is entering a new electoral phase, with the next parliamentary elections scheduled for June 2026.