Armenian ambassador to Moscow: Russia denies rejecting Samvel Mkrtchyan
- Published
- Place
- Moscow, Russia
- Event date
- Past event —
Summary
Russia’s Foreign Ministry on 1 November denied refusing to approve Samvel Mkrtchyan as Armenia’s new ambassador to Russia. According to Moscow, the report published by a Yerevan daily “does not correspond to reality”. Citing an anonymous source, the newspaper had claimed that the diplomat’s nomination had been rejected. Samvel Mkrtchyan heads the European department of Armenia’s Foreign Ministry. Ambassador to Poland from November 2018, he previously served in Lebanon and at NATO, and headed the arms control department. The current ambassador, Gurgen Arsenyan, said his goodbyes during the summer, but returned in August and is still in Moscow.
Analysis
The post is sensitive: Gurgen Arsenyan, a former MP from the ruling Civil Contract party, has held it since August 2024. In May 2026 he was summoned by Russian diplomats after remarks by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at European meetings in Yerevan. A refusal would have signalled a further cooling between the two countries; Moscow’s swift denial shows a wish to avoid an open crisis.
Possible consequences
Until the appointment is made official, Gurgen Arsenyan remains the Russian authorities’ counterpart. Yerevan has yet to formally announce his successor.
What remains uncertain
The original report relies on an anonymous source. Neither Armenia’s Foreign Ministry nor the presidency had commented as of 1 November, and no appointment date is known.
