Lavrov: Unilateral concessions by Armenian authorities make Armenia`s  borders undefined

ArmInfo.Russia still considers Armenia its ally. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated in an interview with Sputnik, Moscow Speaks and Komsomolskaya Pravda radio stations in response to a request to tell how things stand in relations with Armenia.

To the remark that Yerevan is not happy with the activities of the  CSTO, and the EAEU is not so profitable, Lavrov retorted that "there  are facts that are a very stubborn thing."

"Armenia and we are still allies. Firstly, we are legal allies. But,  I think, not only legally, and there are those who understand the  importance of Russia for the security and economic development of  Armenia.  Including the head of government of this country, who  recently speaking in parliament said that "relations with the Russian  Federation are going through difficult times, but their importance  can hardly be overestimated for our statehood, sovereignty, security  and economic development. And we appreciate the enormous positive  that was and is in our relations." It seems to me that this is very  important statement, because to a certain extent, this is a reaction  to the 'arrogant', 'shameless' actions of the West - the USA and the  EU, first of all - to tear Armenia away from the Russian Federation  at an accelerated pace," said the head of the Russian Foreign  Ministry.

At the same time, he emphasized that Armenia receives proportionally  the most benefits in EAEU. The diplomat added that that has been  calculated.

"35% of the Armenian economy is realized through participation in the  EAEU. Well, if we take last year, then Armenia's trade turnover is  20-something billion dollars, with 37% of this coming from the EAEU,  13% from the EU and 3% from USA. Here, even from an arithmetical  point of view, it cannot be said that the EAEU is not beneficial for  Armenia," the Russian minister stated. In this vein, he also drew  NATO's attention to the fact that Armenia, due to its size,  contributes less than other countries to this integration  association, including in terms of financial contributions, but has  absolutely equal rights with all other countries, including the  Russian Federation.

"Gazprom-Armenia - $177 per thousand cubic meters of gas. In the West  they pay 2-3 times more. And if they want to 'heat' Armenia with  their gas, I don't know how. If they want, as the Americans say, to  close their nuclear power plant and replace it with small modular  reactors - I hope that the Armenians understand the importance of the  electricity generated by the Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant.  The South  Caucasus Railway has been carrying out passenger transportation at  preferential rates all these years, making infrastructure  investments, etc. And the Zangezur Copper-Molybdenum Combine is the  main taxpayer of Armenia," Lavrov recalled.

"Therefore," the Russian minister continued, "those who try to show  that Russia and EAEU are 'exploiting' small Armenia should think  about this."

According to him, the same applies to the CSTO. He stated with regret  that after three trilateral documents were concluded after November  2020 (the end of the 44-day war around Artsakh - ed. note), which  ensured a normal, balanced process of normalizing relations, opening  regional communications , the EU and The United States 'began to  interfere in this process in order to present the results as their  own.' "And to prevent Russia from implementing its agreements. In  exactly the same way as in 2003, when the Cossack memorandum on the  territorial integrity of Moldova was signed, with special rights for  Transnistria," recalls Lavrov.

The head of the Russian Foreign Ministry once again stated that in  the fall of 2022, Armenia refused to accept the document agreed and  confirmed at the level of ministers of the CSTO states on the  transfer of additional weapons for border protection, on the conduct  of special exercises and on the deployment of the Organization's  mission along the border of the Republic of Armenia. "This is a fact.  All ministers, including the Armenian one, endorsed this document,  and in the morning the Prime Minister of Armenia said that there was  no consensus. But there was a consensus in the Armenian society on  the deployment of the EU civilian mission, which was first introduced  for two months, and now it "It's permanent. The Canadians are already  there, and other NATO members want to go there. This is no longer a  European Union mission. This will already be a NATO mission," he  said.

Referring to the accusations that the CSTO cannot define where the  border of Armenia passess, Lavrov noted that Armenia itself has not  yet defined it. "They stated that they were ready, together with  Azerbaijan, to respect the borders defined by the Alma-Ata  Declaration of 1991, which means that Karabakh is in Azerbaijan. But  at the same time, in parallel, they established a delimitation  commission, and at the same time Pashinyan recently announced four  non-enclave villages in Tavush, which he is ready to transfer( to  Azerbaijan ed. note). Now he is convincing the population there that  otherwise it will be a mistake. And the borders of 1991, which  Pashinyan wanted the CSTO to define and protect, are not taken into  account due to unilateral steps. Therefore, before to say that the  CSTO is obliged to define the borders of Armenia, they  need to  define them themselves - to complete the delimitation," the Russian  minister noted.

Lavrov also once again recalled that Armenia, having signed the  Prague Declaration through the mediation of the EU, which recognized  Artsakh as part of Azerbaijan, did not even bother to outline the  need to protect the rights of Armenian national minorities within  Azerbaijan. "Therefore, it is wrong to say that because of the  actions of our peacekeepers the Armenians left Karabakh," the Russian  minister noted.

In conclusion, the Russian minister expressed hope that there will be  contacts between the leaders of Armenia and Russia, during which all  this can be discussed frankly without arguments thrown up by the  West.