Minsk reacts to Armenian Parliament Speaker`s attacks on Belarus

ArmInfo. The remarks made by Armenian Parliament Speaker Alen Simoyan against Belarus are simply pre-election populism and a desperate attempt to distract his own electorate from grave domestic issues, according to a statement by Belarusian Foreign Ministry Press Secretary Ruslan Varankov in response to a question from the First Information Channel about the  remarks by the Armenian National Assembly Speaker.

It should be noted that Armenian Parliament Speaker Alen Simonyan  lashed out at Russia on Armenian Public Television. He stated that  Russia is currently attempting to carry out a political operation to  change the Armenian government. According to him, "while in Ukraine  they are trying to advance and resolve their interests through armed  means, in Armenia they are attempting a political operation, an  attempt to seize power." Simonyan added that "the Armenian people  will not allow Armenia to be turned into a province" and "Armenia  will not be governed like Belarus."

"When poverty is skyrocketing, exceeding 40% at the upper limit,  unemployment is rising, and entire regions are stagnating, it's  easier to appoint an 'external enemy' and indulge in offensive  labels. Such a cynical approach is regrettable," Belarusian Foreign  Ministry spokesperson said.

At the same time, Varankov emphasized that Belarus is a sovereign  state that independently determines the format of its allied  relations with Russia. "We are proud of this cooperation and will not  allow anyone to lecture us. Attempts to drag Minsk into domestic  political squabbles under the guise of mythical interference are a  gross violation of basic diplomatic ethics," he continued. Minsk also  expressed confidence that the results of official Yerevan's so-called  "balanced" pro-Western course are clear:  depopulation, chronic  economic instability, and complete foreign policy dependence, forcing  it to serve as a puppet for foreign summits.

"We clearly distinguish between the brotherly Armenian people and  their short-sighted government officials. Belarusians and Armenians  are bound by strong historical ties, and we beleive that sooner or  later, the Armenian leadership will heed common sense and return to  constructive dialogue with our country so that our states can once  again become truly friendly and strategic partners," Minsk concluded.

It is worth noting that Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan  announced from the parliamentary rostrum on June 13, 2024, that he  would never visit Belarus again as long as Alexander Lukashenko is  president. He based his statements on the fact that one of the  leaders of the CSTO member states recently stated that his country  participated in the 44-day war, believed in, and desired Azerbaijan's  victory. The Armenian Prime Minister also clarified that Lukashenko's  stance on the war in Nagorno-Karabakh influenced Yerevan's decision  to possibly withdraw from the Collective Security Treaty Organization  (CSTO). On the same day, the Armenian ambassador was recalled from  Minsk for consultations.

Recall, on May 17, 2024, as part of a state visit to Azerbaijan,  Lukashenko also visited the occupied territories of Artsakh, where he  not only offered his services for the "reconstruction of the region"  but also reported how he had discussed the war for Nagorno-Karabakh  with Aliyev even before it began.

Notably, Pashinyan responded to Lukashenko's remarks almost a month  later. The Armenian Prime Minister's sharp reaction to Lukashenko's  remarks is also incomprehensible, given that by that time he had  repeatedly, in violation of the Armenian Constitution, referred to  Artsakh as Azerbaijani. Following this, Belarusian Ambassador  Alexander Konyuk was recalled from Yerevan.