Armenian PM wins fresh mandate; PM Modi extends congratulations

Pashinyan entered the election with strong backing from Europe and the United States, reflecting growing Western support for Armenia's political and strategic reorientation.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen congratulated him on the victory, assuring Yerevan of continued support from Brussels.

"Armenia can count on us."

"The spirit of the Velvet Revolution you led in 2018 is alive and well. We deeply value our partnership with a democratic Armenia that is drawing ever closer to Europe," she said on social media.

French President Emmanuel Macron also welcomed the result, saying it would provide fresh "momentum toward closer ties with Europe".

Former president Robert Kocharyan's Armenia alliance crossed the electoral threshold to enter parliament, securing 9.9 per cent of the vote, while overall voter turnout stood at 59 per cent, according to the Central Election Commission.

Political analyst Armen Badalyan told AFP that the result gives Pashinyan's party a clear path to forming the next government.

"But it fell short of the supermajority needed to pass constitutional amendments" demanded by Azerbaijan as a condition for a final peace treaty.

Claiming a "historic victory", Pashinyan pledged to pursue a balanced foreign policy, saying Armenia would "continue the course of rapprochement with the West" while also strengthening ties with Russia.

"The Armenian people voted for regional prosperity and cooperation, and I hope this will draw a positive response from Turkey and Azerbaijan," he told a news conference.

"We need to institutionalise peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan."

His main challenger, Russian-Armenian billionaire Samvel Karapetyan, who is under house arrest on charges he says are politically motivated, rejected the outcome and described the elections as "shameful". He alleged widespread violations and repression, claiming that dozens of his campaign workers had been detained.

The opposition has accused Pashinyan of using the courts, police and state machinery to pressure rivals, arguing that his reformist administration has increasingly adopted authoritarian practices.

Following the election, Pashinyan vowed "the final eradication of the criminal-oligarchic system from Armenia", adding: "The leaders of these forces must be held criminally liable."

Armenia's Investigative Committee said it had opened 59 criminal cases over alleged electoral violations, including instances of multiple voting, and had detained nine people.

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