‍Central Asia and The Caucasus Journal

The Role of the Armenian Diaspora in the Foreign Relations of the Republic of Armenia (2018 - 2024)

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research Paper

Author

Mohmmad Hossein Masoumzadeh

Faculty of Law and Political Science.University of Tehran. Tehran. Iran

10.22034/ca.2026.2075736.1940
Abstract
The present research analyzes the geopolitical developments in the South Caucasus and their impact on the dynamics of relations between Nikol Pashinyan’s government and the Armenian diaspora from 2018 to 2024. The central issue is to explain why and how the diaspora’s status in Yerevan’s foreign policy equations has shifted. Using a qualitative method and a documentary-analytical approach within the framework of diaspora diplomacy, this article argues that following the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War and the fall of Artsakh, the political influence of the diaspora (especially in France and the US) has been reduced from a “strategic partner” to a “financial and humanitarian supporter.” Findings indicate that while Armenian lobbies have been successful in public diplomacy and resource mobilization, they face structural limitations in influencing macro-security decisions. Ultimately, to ensure national security and normalize relations with neighbors, the Armenian government has limited the diaspora’s political agency, shifting its strategic paradigm from “diaspora-centric idealism” to “state-centric realism.”

Keywords

Armenia
Armenian diaspora
France
United States
Second Nagorno-Karabakh War (2020)
‍Central Asia and The Caucasus Journal

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 13 September 2026

Home

Guide for Authors

Submit Manuscript

Reviewers

Contact Us