
ArmInfo. Russia is counting on Armenia to make a "historically correct choice" regarding its stance with the European Union (EU) and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), as stated by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) on June 3.
"I think recent events show that [Armenia] needs to make a choice. We count on this choice being historically correct," TASS quoted him as saying. The diplomat expressed hope that this choice would favor deep, fraternal relations with Russia. According to him, the people of Armenia have always benefited from such cooperation and will continue to do so in the future.
Russian-Armenian relations were also addressed by the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova. She expressed her conviction that Armenia must be saved by its own citizens, who can make a choice in favor of their country during elections, taking national interests into account. "[The citizens of Armenia] have every opportunity now to make a choice in favor of their own country, with national interests in mind," she said. According to her, Russia has never acted against the Armenian people. "We have supported, helped, and at times simply saved [them] in every possible way. But it is up to the citizens of Armenia," the diplomat added, according to TASS. She also touched upon the strengthening of Armenian-American relations, asserting that the United States does not treat Armenia as an equal partner, offering only empty promises without backing them up with tangible documents.
"Let's ask a question: is this how an equal partner is treated? Of course not. When it comes to equality, [...] matters are not limited to declarations, statements, promises, and pledges. It is truly about formalizing relations into international treaties," she said, as reported by RIA Novosti. She added that Washington had previously signed strategic partnership agreements with Yerevan, yet those promises were never fulfilled by the U.S. According to Zakharova, the documents signed by the United States do not hold the status of international treaties, meaning they carry no binding obligations.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan signed the charter for a comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries during a meeting in Yerevan on May 26. Additionally, the parties signed agreements on supply chain security, the extraction and processing of rare earth minerals, as well as a framework agreement on strategic cooperation under the "Trump Route for International Prosperity Project" (TRIPP).