The mass migration of Armenian citizens to Russia after the opening of the border is expected, Andrey Petrov, a senior analyst for Vestnik Kavkaza news agency, told News.Az.

According to the analyst, there are two reasons behind the flow of Armenians to Russia.

“The first reason is that Armenia is currently in a ‘catastrophic economic situation’. In early 2020, the Armenian economy was not good, and during two years of work, the Pashinyan government failed to positively influence this.  Later, the Armenian economy was severely hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, and then the country’s authorities provoked the Second Karabakh War. All this depleted what little remained in the financial and industrial sphere of Armenia,” he said.

The analyst stressed that today Armenian citizens simply cannot earn a living in their country. “Armenia is suffering from the lack of money and jobs. Therefore the only way out is to leave the country for other states to earn a living,” he added.

Petrov noted that Russia in this regard looks like a preferable option. “Firstly, there is a visa-free regime between Armenia and Russia, and secondly, most of the relatives of Armenian citizens also live in Russia.”

“Besides, Armenian citizens are leaving the country to protect themselves from political turmoil, amid intensifying internal struggles between the opposition and the authorities. Ordinary citizens see that no one can guarantee them a normal life, while Pashinyan's team, the Karabakh clan of Kocharyan and Sargsyan are competing for power in post-war Armenia,” Petrov concluded.

News.Az