On May 18, 2026, the CIS Observer Mission and its Headquarters, at the invitation from the Republic of Armenia, commenced monitoring the elections to the National Assembly of Armenia.
As part of the launch of the Mission, Head of the CIS Observer Mission, CIS Deputy Secretary-General Nurlan Seitimov met with Chairman of the Central Election Commission of Armenia Vahagn Hovakimyan. The parties discussed the course of the election campaign and the Mission’s activities.
Nurlan Seitimov noted that this is already the 134th CIS Observer Mission deployed for elections and referendums in the CIS member states and the 12th mission in Armenia. It reflects the extensive experience of joint efforts and provides a solid basis for constructive cooperation during the current election campaign.
The Head of the Mission emphasized that the observers conduct their work in accordance with the principles of political neutrality and non-interference in electoral process and in the internal affairs of the state. The Mission’s assessments are based exclusively on direct observation, official information, and factual materials provided by electoral authorities and authorized state institutions. Additionally, the Mission proceeds from the understanding that elections are an internal matter of the state and the Observer Mission’s objective is to assess the election campaign in terms of compliance with national legislation and to contribute to the conduct of free and democratic elections.
The Mission consists of about 120 observers, eight of whom will carry out a long-term observation.
“The essential component of the observation process is personal meetings with leaders of political parties and blocks, candidates for deputy mandates and official representatives of state bodies,” Nurlan Seitimov stated.
The work will be coordinated by the Mission Headquarters, which have already begun their duties and are currently undertaking necessary organizational measures related to the observation process.
For his part, Vahagn Hovakimyan briefed CIS observers on the actions taken by electoral authorities of Armenia in preparation for the elections and handed over accreditation certificates. He also provided detailed information on candidates’ nomination and registration, the training of election commission members, and efforts on keeping voter lists up to date.
The Chairman of the Central Election Commission noted that the activities of the Central Commission and subordinate election commissions would remain transparent and that commission members would be open to cooperation with international observers.
Issues, related to the election campaign and to the organization of the CIS Observer Mission’s work, were also discussed with Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia Robert Abisoghomonyan.
During the meeting, CIS observers were assured that the Mission would be provided with the necessary support in performing its functions in accordance with national legislation.