Rome Statute: Armenian Business Association president warns Armenia`s leadership of risks to Armenian- Russian partnership 

ArmInfo. Samvel Karapetyan, President of the Tashir Group of Companies, has commented on the news about Armenia's plans to accede to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, the press service of the Tashir Group told ArmInfo.

"The RA Government has recently expressed its unequivocal support for international organizations' decisions to impose sanctions on Russia, particularly on its leaders. Such actions pose an immediate threat to Armenian-Russian relations in terms of both economic and politico-military and cultural cooperation," the statement reads.

Russia is Armenia's leading economic and trade partner and guarantor of its security. "Our friendly ties are a reliable basis for stable bilateral relations. Undermining Armenian-Russian allied relations could be a security challenge to Artsakh, where Russian peacekeepers are ensuring a peaceful life for 120,000 Artsakh Armenians," Mr Karapetyan said.

On behalf of the Armenian Business Association, Mr Karapetyan is calling on Armenia's leadership to make a sober assessment of the risks posed by such statements and warns against endangering Armenian- Russian partnership.

On March 24, the Armenian Constitutional Court ruled constitutional the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court thereby paving the way for parliamentary ratification of the treaty.

Based in The Hague, the ICC is the first permanent international tribunal tasked with prosecuting war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and military aggression. Armenia was among 120 countries that signed its founding treaty, the Rome Statute, in 1998.

A source in Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that "Moscow regards as absolutely unacceptable Yerevan's plans to join the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court given the arrest warrants for the RF leaders." The source stressed that "our Armenian partners have been warned of extremely negative consequences of their possible steps for their relations with Russia."