EU chief hails Armenia PM's ruling party win

BRUSSELS

EU chief Ursula von der Leyen congratulated Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on June 8 after preliminary election results showed his party's victory, hailing "a democratic Armenia that is drawing ever closer to Europe".

Pashinyan has sought closer ties with the West, especially the European Union.

"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. Armenia can count on us," von der Leyen said on social media.

Pashinyan's ruling Civil Contract party got 49.8 percent of the vote, comfortably ahead of the 23.3 percent of Russian-Armenian billionaire Samvel Karapetyan's Strong Armenia alliance, after all electoral precincts declared results, the Central Election Commission said.

EU top diplomat Kaja Kallas said earlier before the commission's announcement that Armenians appeared to have voted for a "European future".

"The votes are being counted, but it looks like now that Armenia's people, although under heavy Russian pressure, still chose to have a European future, which is a good thing, and of course I mean we are trying to help them as much as possible, so on their future reforms," Kallas said.