70. Armenia’s Foreign Policy Options Within China’s Belt and Road Initiative: A Small State Perspective

Tsaturyan, M., & Duarte, P. A. B. (2025). Armenia’s Foreign Policy Options Within China’s Belt and Road Initiative: A Small State Perspective. Journal of Eurasian Studies. https://doi.org/10.1177/18793665251362864This article analyzes Armenia’s complex engagement with China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) through the lens of small state theory. Armenia, constrained by limited territory, population, and economy, traditionally pursued a multi-vector foreign policy balancing relations with Russia, the EU, and the US. However, after the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war and declining trust in Russia, Armenia began reassessing this approach. Despite joining the BRI in 2015, it remains excluded from main corridors and has attracted minimal Chinese investment compared to neighbors like Georgia and Azerbaijan. Economic ties with China are growing but imbalanced, constrained by geography, regional instability, and tense relations with Türkiye. Armenia now seeks strategic relevance through initiatives such as the Crossroads of Peace, the North-South Road Corridor, and the Persian Gulf–Black Sea route. The article highlights Armenia’s dilemma between security and economic goals, showing how small states cautiously navigate great-power initiatives while defending sovereignty.