Oppositionist: Armenian authorities` actions against Russia are unacceptable

ArmInfo. The Armenian authorities' actions toward Russia are unacceptable; relations must be returned to a friendly course. Levon Kocharyan, a member of parliament from the Armenia faction, stated this during a briefing.

"The actions and narrative that the Armenian authorities have been using against Russia over the past few years do not stem from friendly Armenian-Russian relations. This is our position. We would maintain the same position if such treatment had been shown toward the United States, France, or any other friendly country." "We understand that there may be problems and mistakes in relations, but to escalate them to the point where ordinary citizens suffer—I don't understand where the Republic of Armenia's interests lie," he said, referring to the tensions in Armenian-Russian relations.

He emphasized the unacceptability of such actions by the Armenian authorities toward a friendly country and expressed his conviction that efforts must be made to resolve the problems existing between the two countries. "The signals coming from Russia are concerning. We need to draw conclusions. Unfortunately, in some cases, we see these signals being implemented, which are having serious consequences for the Armenian economy, and if this continues, it will get even worse. We need to draw the right conclusions and try to return relations to a friendly track," Kocharyan added.

As a reminder, since April, Russia has introduced gradual restrictions on the import of Armenian agricultural products. The official reason cited was sanitary and phytosanitary violations and a lack of safety oversight by authorized Armenian agencies. The real reason for the restrictions, however, is the overt anti-Russian moves by the Armenian leadership against the backdrop of Yerevan's course toward rapprochement with the European Union. These "sanctions" have already led to a reduction in trade turnover: in the first five months of 2026, mutual trade volumes between Armenia and Russia fell by 21.5% compared to the same period last year. Difficulties have arisen in agricultural exports: due to the blockage of supplies during the summer peak season, exports of Armenian fruits, vegetables, and flowers showed a sharp drop of 74.5%. According to experts, financial losses to businesses amount to tens of millions of dollars, creating the threat of mass bankruptcy for hundreds of greenhouses and farms.