Wednesday, December 20 2023 17:38

ArmInfo. The mention of Armenia and Azerbaijan in the so- called "European Magnitsky list" is not an accident or a typo, but a direct forgery. Spokesperson of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova said on December 20, during a weekly briefing, when asked to comment on the appearance and then disappearance of references to Armenia and Azerbaijan in the EU statement on extending sanctions against a number of countries for human rights violations. "Moscow was familiar with the situation".  Zakharova noted.

"We actually saw the fact that the EU members had some kind of revision of the statement published on December 17 by the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, made on behalf of the European Union on the extension of restrictive measures.

In its original version, Azerbaijan and Armenia appeared in the list of third countries. However, after some time they miraculously disappeared from there," the Russian diplomat stated.

At the same time, she expressed the conviction that this question would be more correctly addressed to the "Brussels magicians." "Because this is really some kind of magic. This is juggling with different versions of its documents. As for our assessment, I would like to note that all attempts by Brussels to give its anti- Russian restrictions the appearance of compliance with international legal norms by tightening them by 'hook or by crook' to their sanctions measures of third countries - this is an 'empty, unconstructive, blemish job'," she noted.

According to her, no matter how you look at them, the EU's unilateral restrictive measures taken in circumvention of the UN Security Council are a gross violation of international law.

"But the story of the appearance and then disappearance of Azerbaijan and Armenia from the list of countries that support the so-called human rights sanctions of the EU is precisely the most striking example of 'neocolonial' thinking in the policy of Brussels and also what the Western community, led by the United States and under the auspices of Brussels, directly wants from getting involved in the process of settling relations between these countries," the Russian diplomat noted.

Zakharova once again emphasized that the only goal and task is in no way related to the settlement and normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, or the resolution of the long-term crisis.  According to her, this is only a desire to once again occupy some anti-Russian point, to take another anti- Russian height, to gain a foothold once again in anti-Russian positions somewhere in the immediate vicinity of Russia. " Not allow everything that is positive, constructive and, by the way, effective developed under the auspices or assistance of Russia to be realized. In an attempt to force our neighbors to follow the sanctions course, including the anti-Russian one, the European Union is doing everything it can, including, as it seems to me, 'deliberate falsehood'," she noted, expressing the conviction that this is not an accident or a typo, but 'deliberate falsehood''.

At the same time, the diplomat wished that this would be a lesson for everyone to be on the lookout for EU and NATO double-dealing.

The representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry added that Moscow saw the official denial from the mentioned capitals that they do not support the mentioned sanctions.

"In any case, unilateral sanctions and restrictive measures of the EU, I repeat once again, are a gross violation of international law," Zakharova concluded.

On December 17, initial version of EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell's statement on the extension of restrictive measures on the so-called "European Magnitsky List" for another year, noted that Armenia and Azerbaijan supported this decision. A day later, references to Armenia and Azerbaijan were removed.

The Armenian Foreign Ministry told ArmInfo that Yerevan did not join the EU Council decision on restrictive measures of December 4.