Armenian FM on possible pressure from Russia amidst the events around Ukraine: There is not a single state in Eurasia that would not be affected by these events

ArmInfo. In Eurasia, no state can claim that the events around Ukraine do not affect them; in fact, the entire world is focused on several issues, with efforts to end the war being one of the top priorities, if not the first. This was stated by the head of the Armenian MFA Ararat Mirzoyan during a joint press conference with his Dutch counterpart Caspar Veldkamp on March 12, in response to a question about whether Yerevan feels Russian pressure amidst the Ukrainian crisis.

According to him, the situation in the South Caucasus may also largely depend on the situation with Ukraine. "I can answer your question with both a yes and a no. Of course, the influence is felt, because everything in the world is connected, no one is in a vacuum.  However, there are also additional opportunities that can arise in the South Caucasus even without a connection to Ukraine and the processes around it," the head of the Armenian Foreign Ministry noted.

In this vein, he hastened to recall that Yerevan has repeatedly stated its willingness to sign a peace treaty with Azerbaijan as soon as possible and close the chapter  of hatred. Mirzoyan admitted that, of course, one document cannot solve everything, but this could be the beginning of a process that can be continued bilaterally, especially since this mechanism is outlined in the document.  "Armenia is ready to achieve a positive result in negotiations with Turkey, establish diplomatic relations and open the border. So, these processes can to some extent take place in parallel with the processes around Ukraine," the head of the Armenian Foreign Ministry noted

"As for relations with the Russian Federation, pressure or disappointment, Mirzoyan continued, Armenia is pursuing a balanced foreign policy." He mentioned the civil initiative on EU membership, emphasized the strong relations with the EU, and highlighted the recently signed document on strategic partnership with the United States. "At the same time, we maintain our partnership with the Russian Federation, and are interested in developing relations with our immediate neighbors - Georgia and Iran. Yerevan understands that someone may not like something, but we strive  to explain that our actions are guided by the interests of Armenia and  not directed against anyone," the head of the Armenian Foreign Ministry concluded.