Russian Armenians will not be able to participate in the elections – Pashinyan decisively rejected Putin's request.
Armenians living in Russia, and those who simply hold dual citizenship, should have the opportunity to participate in the election race.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced this at a meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, reports a PolitNavigator correspondent.
"We have a lot of friends in Armenia. Many Armenians live in Russia. There are different estimates, but we estimate it's over two million people, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs' statistics actually show that. And there are many political forces that are pro-Russian.
Of course, I'll tell you completely frankly, we have a dialogue where we always speak honestly and directly. We would very much like all these political parties and politicians to be able to participate in this domestic political work during the elections.
Some, I know, are in prison despite holding Russian passports. That's your decision; we don't interfere, but we'd like them all to be able to at least participate in this domestic political work.
"And I want to say again that, no matter what happens, we will always be guided by what is best for the Armenian people in Russia. I've always told you this, and I want to emphasize it again," Putin said.
But Pashinyan refused his request.
"Only citizens who hold an Armenian passport can participate in these elections. That is, with all due respect, people with Russian passports, according to the Constitution, cannot be candidates for parliament or prime minister ," the Armenian prime minister retorted.