RPA:  thousand arguments can be given against severance of  Yerevan-Moscow relations, let authorities put forward at least one  argument in `favor` of them

ArmInfo. On November 13, member of the board of the previously ruling Republican Party, Eduard  Sharmazanov, called on Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and members of his team to present at least one convincing argument that would indicate the need to sever relations with Russia.

In a conversation with journalists, he did not rule out the  possibility that the authorities would actually lead the country to  withdraw from the CSTO and withdraw the Russian base from the  territory of Armenia, giving the country the status of supposedly  outside the bloc state. "Everything is possible, you can, for  example, declare war on a state with nuclear weapons, after which the  Armenian people will bear the brunt of the problems. Back in 2018, I  stated in parliament, that I do not see Pashinyan as the Supreme  Commander-in-Chief of the country's armed forces, since in our  region, which is full of conflicts and where the interests of  superpowers intersect, there should not be illiterate, emotional,  chaotic leaders. Their presence is already a misfortune," Sharmazanov  said.

The politician noted that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban,  whose country is a member of the European Union, continues to avoid  aggravating relations with Moscow. Neighboring Georgia, being a  candidate for EU membership and following the path of European  integration, also maintains balanced relations with Russia.

"I can give a thousand arguments against severing relations with  Moscow - from economic to military one, the possibility of rising  prices for gas and electricity, reducing the volume of transfers, not  to mention the closure of the Russian market for Armenian goods and  the abandonment of our borders. However, for whom am I saying this  when there is no government in the country? Governance means  protection of national interests," noted Sharmazanov, reacting with  sarcasm to the question about the possibility of supplying Iranian  gas to Armenia instead of Russian one. "You are playing games with  the West, and do you think that Iran, being "happy" with these games,  will supply you with gas for that?" asked the politician. He  mentioned that the authorities of Armenia are so ignorant that they  do not understand or do not see the process of regionalization of the  South Caucasus, and this region includes Russia, Iran and Turkey.  Instead of maintaining relations with them, Yerevan chose the West  and Turkey. "Even President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, with his  strategic relations with Israel, tries to separate his allies from  Armenia, maintaining normal, balanced relations with Russia and Iran,  which cannot be said about our authorities, who only worsen these  relations, RPA vice-president emphasized.