ArmInfo. The Russian Foreign Ministry reported that it had paid attention to the statements of British Deputy Defense Minister James Heappey who indicated his readiness to support Armenia in the face of "threats emanating from Russia."
"We are no longer surprised by the fact that London has stopped hiding the anti-Russian essence of all its steps in the post-Soviet space, including in the South Caucasus. But Heappey's 'revelations' are also direct confirmation that the West is seeking to turn Armenia into an instrument of its ongoing region of the line directed against Moscow," the Foreign Ministry said, RIA Novosti reports.
The diplomatic department noted that this situation is a reason for reflection for responsible politicians in Yerevan.
Earlier, UK Minister for the Armed Forces James Heappey, in response to a question from British parliamentarians about "how he assesses the potential benefits for the UK defense industry from Armenia's withdrawal from the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO)", said that the UK recognizes Armenia's decision on freezing membership in the CSTO as the "realization of Armenia's sovereign right and will cooperate with Euro-Atlantic allies to support it in the face of threats of retaliation from Russia."
At the same time, the official noted that the "freezing" of Armenia's membership in the CSTO does not yet mean an official exit from the organization. "The UK is a signatory to the OSCE arms embargo and therefore any benefits to the UK defense industry must be within those limits. We will continue to work closely with Armenia to explore opportunities for closer cooperation," he stressed in his response to the British Parliament.