Armenian premier`s statement should be viewed with caution - Russian  MP

ArmInfo. The statements made by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his loyal pal Simonyan should be taken with a certain degree of caution. This was stated in  an interview with Svobodnaya Pressa by Konstantin Zatulin, Director  of the CIS Institute and First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma  Committee on CIS Affairs and Eurasian Integration, referring to the  statement by Armenian Parliament Speaker Alen Simonyan that the  country's authorities are not going to change their position on the  Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO).

"Right now, they are interested in slowing down at the crossing.  Their previous bet on the US administration and the common Western  position turned out to be untenable. Russia and the US have begun to  restore relations. And in this situation, it has become inconvenient  for Pashinyan to engage in intrigue.  With America, at least," the  Russian MP believes.

"As for France, which has always responded to Armenia's problems more  than any Western country, Pashinyan has a different problem here. He  positions himself as the "prime minister of peace", he strives for a  peace treaty with Azerbaijan. And Paris has said a lot of unpleasant  things about Azerbaijan. As a result, Pashinyan began to make  friendly gestures towards Russia. He has already announced that he is  going to Moscow, to Red Square for the 80th anniversary of the  victory," Zatulin noted.

When asked whether it can be said that Yerevan has begun a turn  towards Moscow, the deputy urged not to be too trusting and to take  Pashinyan's gestures at face value.

"It seems to me that the course of Pashinyan and Simonyan remains the  same: they are trying with all their might to leave the post-Soviet  space, hoping that this will pay off in the West. But due to the fact  that the West is currently solving issues of a different level than  the Armenian one, Pashinyan decided to slow down. Issues are being  resolved regarding Ukraine, a rift has arisen between the US and  Great Britain, France. There is no time for Armenia now, and  Pashinyan understands this, and therefore, out of habit, he turns to  relations with Russia. But Pashinyan and Simonyan have already made  many statements in different directions, and look like people whom  neither side can trust," the legislator said.

Zatulin is confident that Russia must keep the Armenian people in the  orbit of its influence.

"Armenians live all over the world, and we have no fewer Armenians in  Russia than in Armenia. This is all the more important because, it  seems to me, a reassessment of relations with Turkey is inevitable.  It behaves as it sees fit, regardless of our interests. Turkey did  not consult with us when it overthrew Assad in Syria," he said.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated in an interview with  France24 TV channel at the end of February 2024 that the collective  security treaty with respect to Armenia had not been implemented, and  the republic had frozen its participation in the CSTO. Later, he did  not rule out leaving the Organization altogether. Yerevan has stopped  paying membership fees to the Organization and does not participate  in any CSTO events.