Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan declared victory Monday in parliamentary elections seen as a test of the ruling party's handling of a peace deal with Azerbaijan and its pivot to the West.

Preliminary results showed Pashinyan's Civil Contract party leading on 49.81%, with Russian-Armenian billionaire Samvel Karapetyan's Strong Armenia alliance trailing behind at 23.29%, according to the Central Election Commission.

Ex-President Robert Kocharyan's Armenia alliance was third with some 9.94%, followed by the Prosperous Armenia Party, which cleared the electoral threshold with 4%. The commission said turnout was 59.97%.

In a press ‌conference in ⁠the ⁠early hours of Monday morning, Pashinyan said his Civil Contract party had prevailed, calling it a "historic victory."

EU leaders hail Pashinyan's win

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen congratulated Pashinyan after preliminary election results showed his party's victory, hailing "a democratic Armenia that is drawing ever closer to Europe."

"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 wrote on social media.

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

French President Emmanuel Macron also congratulated Pashinyan, saying the win would boost the "momentum toward closer ties with Europe."

"I look forward to continuing, by your side, the work we have begun to further strengthen our cooperation in the service of our peoples, to support peace and Armenia's sovereignty, and to accompany the momentum toward closer ties with Europe," Macron said in a post on X.

Analyst Armen Badalyan said the result means that Pashinyan's party "won enough seats in the new parliament to form the country's next cabinet," but fell short of the super majority needed to pass constitutional amendments.

Sunday's vote was seen as a referendum on Pashinyan's push to move Armenia closer to the West since he came to power in 2018 and his peace efforts with Azerbaijan.

In contrast, his main rival, the pro-Russia Strong Armenia alliance, campaigned for Armenia to remain close to Russia, a key trading partner and energy supplier.

What is Russia's stance on Armenia's election?

Yerevan's rapprochement with Europe has raised the ire of Russia, Armenia's former Soviet master.

Last month, Russian President Vladimir Putin made veiled threats about the negative economic impact of a move away from Moscow if Armenia continued on its course.

In the weeks before the election, Russia sought to add pressure by introducing new restrictions on Armenian produce including flowers and vegetables.

Putin also suggested that Armenia could suffer a similar crisis as the one in Ukraine, saying that Kyiv's problems "began with efforts to move toward EU accession." 

The EU has moved to counter what European Commission President von der Leyen called a case of "Moscow weaponizing economic relations for political pressure."

She pledged €50 million ($57.6 million) for the country as well as more relaxed trade conditions for goods targeted by Moscow.

Pashinyan's peace deal with Azerbaijan in focus

Pashinyan has also come under fire from the opposition and some sectors of the public who have accused him of capitulating to Azerbaijan.

Armenia and Azerbaijan have been embroiled in a long-running conflict since the 1980s, largely over Nagorno-Karabakh, ⁠a ​breakaway territory inhabited by ethnic Armenians that was retaken by Azerbaijan in a ​2023 war.

Critics say Pashinyan made too many concessions to Azerbaijan in a US-brokered agreement he signed last August.

He has also been accused of authoritarianism, with many of his opponents landing behind bars in recent years.

The government has defended its actions, saying those imprisoned were trying to foment coups.

On Sunday, police said they had detained more than 10 people on suspicion of vote-buying, while three members of a local electoral commission were also taken into custody overnight.

Edited by: Dmytro Hubenko

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