Armenian-Russian relations pose challenges - Russian FM

ArmInfo.Today's relations between Armenia and Russia are not simple. This was stated by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at a press conference on the results of the year on January 14, assessing the nature of the current relations between Yerevan and Moscow, against the backdrop of  Armenia's desire for European integration.

The diplomat recalled that Moscow had already commented on bilateral relations when the Armenian government's decision to begin the process of joining the Republic to the EU was announced.

"Our Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Alexey Overchuk, an experienced person involved in the Eurasian Economic Union and its expansion, frankly said that these are incompatible processes, two different free trade zones, two different systems of reducing or waiving duties/tariffs. They do not coincide," the Russian Foreign Minister said.

According to Lavrov, it is certainly a legitimate decision of the  Armenian authorities to begin the process of joining any  international structure where they are welcome - this is a sovereign decision.

"But weighing all the pros and cons is probably also the  responsibility of the Armenian government, the Armenian leadership, those who are involved in the economic bloc," he said.

Referring to Armenia's blocking of its membership in the CSTO, the Russian Foreign Minister noted that the Armenian side does not participate in the work of the Organization. "But, in fairness, they officially said that this does not mean that we are blocking the adoption of decisions where consensus is required. So, the  Organization is working," Lavrov said, recalling that back in 2022, the CSTO agreed on the process of sending an observer mission of the Organization to Armenia, equipped in such a way as to play a deterrent role on the border, but Yerevan refused this step.

At the same time, the Russian minister noted that Russian President Vladimir Putin had repeatedly touched on this topic. "There was never any delimited, much less demarcated border - 2-3 km one way, the other:  Yes, there were such exchanges of fire, but to refuse the CSTO mission, which would have been, I have no doubt, very effective - was also a sovereign decision of the Republic," Lavrov justified himself, noting that at the same time a civilian EU mission was invited there, first for two months, and then indefinitely.

According to him, Canada then joined the mission, which already means an element of NATO presence.  The diplomat noted that, according to the Russian side, the specialists of this mission are largely engaged in issues of interest not to Armenia, but to various Western alliances. "Yesterday I heard that Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan signed a strategic partnership agreement with US Secretary  of State Anthony Blinken (today it will be signed - ed.). This is  again a sovereign decision of two states. The main thing is not what he signed or how he signed, but what follows from it. We also used the terminology "strategic partnership" in a number of agreements with Western countries, but they never required one or another participant to oppose a third party," the Russian minister said, expressing conviction that Armenia would also be required to join the anti-Russian sanctions. At the same time, he noted that the dialogue with Yerevan continues, the Armenian Foreign Minister was invited to Moscow and accepted this invitation. He expressed hope that this visit will take place soon.

On January 9, the Armenian government approved the draft law on the beginning of the process of joining the European Union, proposed by the civil initiative "Eurakve". The draft will be discussed in the Armenian parliament in the near future.