Friday, March 4 2022 14:02

ArmInfo. Armenia has not recognized Nagorno-Karabakh's independence either, Russian Ambassador to Armenia Sergey Kopyrkin said in an interview with the Public TV of Armenia in response to the moderator's question as to why Moscow has  not so far recognize Nagorno-Karabakh's independence, whereas it has  recognized the Donetsk People's Republic, Luhansk People's Republic,  Abkhazia and South Ossetia. 

Mr Kopyrkin noted that the Karabakh problem has been dealt with for a  very long period, and Russia has not changed its position

"The problem must be solved with all the parties' interests  considered. And we have been doing our best to create conditions to  find a solution. As regards South Ossetia and Abkhazia, we know very  well that Russia did not at first recognize them as independent  states. And it was only after Tbilisi's aggression against South  Ossetia and strikes against Russian peacekeepers that necessary steps  were taken," the Russian ambassador said. 

Asked if Russian peacekeepers will remain in Artsakh in four years,  Kopyrkin found it difficult to make forecasts. He recalled relevant  agreements, which can be extended. 

"It depends on further developments and on the parties' positions,  including a most important factor, namely, the Armenian population's  feeling of security due to Russian peacekeepers," the diplomat said. 

Speaking of Armenian-Russian relations, Ambassador Kopyrkin stated  they are a strategic alliance. Both the sides are showing a political  will to strengthen and develop them. 

"Evidence thereof is a number of factors, including active  development of economic ties, which are acquiring new forms now.  Among them are last year's visits by representative Russian business  delegations, new investment projects on the agenda. All of our ties  remain high on the agenda. We remain politico-military allies, which  is a most important field of our cooperation," Mr Kopyrkin said, and  singled out cooperation within the CSTO and EAEU. 

As regards the international assessments of Russia's actions in  Ukraine, which are viewed as an aggression, Mr Kopyrkin put a  counter-question as to which world is calling Russia's special  operation in Ukraine an "aggression." "It is the West! Fortunately,  it is not the entire world and even is not a larger part of the  world.  Another question is that these leading nations, with their  information resources and greater potential, are forcing their views  on a large number of people worldwide. But we can by no means speak  of the entire world, and I think many countries disagree with such  wording," the Russian diplomat said.  He disagrees with the opinion  that Russia attacked Ukraine. Mr Kopyrkin points out a need for  identifying the root cause, which Russian President Vladimir Putin  had spoken of earlier. In this context, the Russian diplomat recalled  NATO's promises not to expand eastward. In fact, however, NATO's  2-step expansion has brought it close to Russia's borders. In this  context, Ambassador Kopyrkin singled out Ukraine's special role in  NATO's tasks to check Russia. He recalled the West's efforts to  alienate Ukraine from Russia. 

"Russia has always respected Ukraine's choice an has been interested  in maintaining our bilateral ties. We have never made Ukraine face  the choice: we or the West. Rather, our policy has been establishing  mutually beneficial and comprehensive ties with the West," Mr  Kopyrkin said. Russia has spared no effort to settle the issues with  Ukraine, but has not been shown understanding. The Russian diplomat  spoke of the growing anti-Russian and neo-Nazi sentiments in Ukraine  and of Ukraine's military buildup, including with the West's support,  talks about Ukraine's accession to NATO and, finally, sabotaging the  Minsk agreements. 

Commenting on the talks about Russia's intention to restore the  Soviet Union, Ambassador Kopyrkin expressed confidence that "to  processes are deliberately being mixed. Yes, Russia is interested in  intensifying Eurasia integration, primarily with our closest  neighbors, the ones we have much in common with. And Ukraine is  evidence that these ties are objective and have not been lost. They  can be a factor of security and prosperity, which we are actually  seeking to ensure within the Eurasian Economic Union. On the other  hand, they can be a factor that would have disastrous consequences,  when it comes to severing relations and anti-Russian sentiments," he  said. Ukraine is a good example, he added.  

Calling for being realists, the Russian diplomat stated that the EAEU  member-states cannot be said to be losing their sovereignty.  According to him, Armenia's leaders can confirm this. "Any  dictatorship or losing sovereign rights is out of the question.  Moreover, developing the ties is a most important factor and means of  strengthening the countries' sovereignty," Kopyrkin said. 

Asked about the results of the military operation in Ukraine, he said  that it is, as has been stated, demilitarization and denazification.