“Congratulations to the people of Armenia and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian on successful parliamentary elections,” tweeted Biden.
“Our partnership with Armenia is one of shared values and cooperation on democratic reform and conflict resolution -- we are committed to strengthening that partnership,” he said.
The U.S. State Department issued a similar statement the day after the snap elections, which were called to end a serious political crisis caused by Armenia’s defeat in last year’s war with Azerbaijan.
A department spokesman noted and welcomed a largely positive assessment of the Armenian authorities’ handling of the vote given by European observers. He also urged the Armenian opposition to accept the official election results that gave victory to Pashinian’s Civil Contract party.
The two main opposition groups continued to reject the official results as fraudulent, however. They both are expected to ask the country’s Constitutional Court to overturn them.
Former President Robert Kocharian’s Hayastan bloc, the official runner-up in the polls, has accused the European observers of turning a blind eye to violations which it said benefited the ruling party.
Pashinian insisted on June 24 that the vote was free and fair. “We set a new standard,” he said.
Pashinian’s office was quick to post Biden’s tweet on its website. It did not say whether the U.S. president has sent a formal congratulatory message to the Armenian premier.
Armenia’s Central Election Commission reaffirmed its vote tally on Sunday.