How Russia's "main ally" in South Caucasus "set it up" in PACE

On June 24, Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe approved resolution allowing Russia to return to PACE. This resolution was supported by 118 deputies, 62 were against, and 10 abstained. Full delegation of Georgia voted against this resolution, which was expected considering tense Georgian-Russian relations and anti-Russian hysteria in this country. Delegation of Azerbaijan, on the contrary, supported the return of Russian delegates to the PACE, which also didn't come as a surprise, considering high level of relations between Moscow and Baku.

Armenia's position, which presents itself as Russia's main ally in the South Caucasus, came as an unpleasant surprise. Despite promises of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan that change of power after the “Velvet revolution” won't affect foreign policy line of Armenia, actions of Armenian politicians suggest otherwise. How else can you explain the fact that the head of Armenian delegation in PACE and a member of Pashinyan's ruling faction Ruben Rubinyan voted against the return of Russian delegation to PACE? It's difficult to take Rubinyan's absurd excuses seriously. He said that he made a mistake during the voting. If Rubinyan is unable to press the right button during important vote, it's unclear why such unprofessional person was appointed as head of Armenian delegation to the Council of Europe.

Even if we assume that Rubinyan is not lying and was really unable to press the right button, then why second deputy from his faction in PACE - Hovhannes Igityan - also didn't support Russia? He chose to ignore the voting on important issue for Russian diplomacy.

That's how Armenia's main political force with absolute majority of parliamentary members refused to support position of its key ally - Russia - in the Council of Europe. At the same time, France, Italy, Turkey, Norway, Portugal and many other countries voted in support of the Russian Federation. Is Pashinyan, who always says about "unprecedented high level of Armenian-Russian relations", aware of how his allies in Europe damage Armenian-Russian relations? Perhaps this position is an advance for $42 million aid that the US Congress recently approved to encourage further "development of democracy in Armenia".