“I believe that Robert Kocharian is a person with the status of a Russian spy in Armenia,” Simonian told reporters.
“He is a political figure pursuing Russian interests and providing services only in that direction,” he said, adding that Kocharian’s criticism of the government mirrors statements made by Russian officials.
Kocharian, who leads Armenia’s largest opposition group, scoffed at the accusation through the head of his office, Bagrat Mikoyan. The latter labelled Simonian as an “Azerbaijani corporal spy and Turkish agent” whose public pronouncements are “disgusting for any Armenian.”
“Give him [Turkish President Tayyip] Erdogan’s book so that he hugs it and calms down,” Mikyan added in a short statement.
Simonian, who is a key political ally of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian, attacked Kocharian just over a week after the ex-president reaffirmed his intention to continue fighting for regime change in Armenia. Kocharian referred to the next general elections due in June 2026 as the best opportunity to achieve that goal with the help of other opposition groups.
Armenia - Former President Robert Kocharian talks to journalists, Yerevan, October 11, 2024.
Kocharian also reiterated his strong criticism of the Pashinian government’s pro-Western foreign policy which he believes has alienated Russia and aggravated security challenges facing Armenia.
In recent weeks, there have been indications that Pashinian now wants to mend fences with Moscow in response to global geopolitical shifts generated by the new U.S. administration of President Donald Trump. The Armenian premier is expected to attend on Friday a military parade in Moscow dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany.
Simonian said on Monday that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and speaker of Russia’s upper house of parliament, Valentina Matvienko are due to visit Yerevan soon. The Armenian speaker met with the Russian ambassador to Armenia, Sergei Kopyrkin, earlier in the day to discuss preparations for Matvienko’s visit.
Simonian has repeatedly raised eyebrows in Moscow with his public criticism of Russia’s policy on Armenia and actions in the region. In April 2024, he criticized the Russian invasion of Ukraine and accused Moscow of meddling in Armenia’s internal affairs through a “campaign of threats and disinformation.” Matvienko condemned that statement as “Russophobic” and “shameful,” saying that Simonian “crossed all the red lines.”