ArmInfo. Moscow and Yerevan are currently preparing a document that should guarantee the absence of foreign military in biolaboratories in Armenia. This was stated by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, December 17 on the air of Radio Komsomolskaya Pravda.
Answering the question of how Russia intends to resolve the issue of the existence and active work of foreign biolabs in post-Soviet countries, including Armenia and Georgia, Sergei Lavrov said that the process of preparing a document is being completed with Armenia, which will guarantee the absence of any risks and threats transparency. "
With Armenia, we are completing the process of preparing a document that will guarantee the non-presence of foreign military there, which will ensure that everything that is done there will be transparent in terms of guarantees that there are no threats and risks," the minister said, adding that a similar agreement is also being prepared with Kazakhstan.Sergey Lavrov also stressed that the Georgian side invited a group of diplomats to familiarize themselves with the activities of foreign biolabs operating in Georgia: not diplomats, but professionals. "At the same time, he stressed that Russia in any CIS country is several times less diplomats than the United States. "Of course, they have a quantitative advantage. We cannot answer the same amount, mirror the same puppet organizations as theirs. And it's not true that we don't work with all political forces in the CIS countries. We work with all systemic oppositionists. we don't work with non- systemic, underground workers. Probably, we have acquired immunity against revolutions. We ourselves have experienced more than one revolution and don't want any country.
Soft power is needed here: the development of culture, sports, education. I believe that we can state record make positive changes, "said the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry.Earlier, Kommersant wrote that the Russian side is negotiating with Armenia about signing a document that would guarantee a ban on the use of biolaboratories by third countries with financial support from the United States. It was noted that if the negotiations are crowned with success, then American experts will not have access to the laboratory. During his visit to Moscow, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in an interview with the Kommersant newspaper that, on his personal instructions, Russian specialists were admitted to laboratories located in Armenia that deal with biomaterial research. He stressed that the representatives of the Russian Federation never had and will not have problems with access there.Recall that in 2016, with the funding of the US Department of Defense, three laboratories were opened in Armenia - in Yerevan, in Gyumri and in Ijevan. After their discovery in the Armenian and Russian mass media, publications are periodically received that these laboratories are dual-purpose objects and can also be used for military purposes for the creation and production of biological weapons. The establishment of the reference laboratory in Yerevan by the US Department of Defense allocated $ 15.5, and the total funding amounted to $ 18 million.
In Yerevan, $ 4.1 million was invested for the full construction of the reference laboratory of the food safety department for highly dangerous pathogens of the RA Ministry of Agriculture repairing the reference laboratory of the National Center for Disease Control and Prevention of the Ministry of Health of Armenia by the US government invested $ 9.8 million, ensuring the seismic stability of the building and creating the necessary laboratory infrastructure Keturah. An additional $ 1.7 million for both laboratories was allocated for the purchase of new equipment and furniture.