Armenia Freezes Projects with Russia, Sees Ties as Leverage in Shift Toward EU: Foreign Ministry
© AP Photo / Evgenia Novozhenina
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Armenia is not going to "slow down" the implementation of European standards, it delays and freezes initiatives with Moscow's participation, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told Sputnik.
"Serious initiatives with our participation are delayed or frozen. At the same time, we were told as a mantra — 'we will return to their consideration after the elections.' However, no one in Yerevan is going to slow down in terms of implementing European standards," Zakharova said.
Yerevan is signing various memoranda and "framework plans" with Western capitals, including on cooperation in areas where Russia has always been a traditional and reliable partner, the diplomat added.
"Even before the voting day, a whole 'parade' of declarations on strategic partnership concluded with Western countries took place. Even with those states that dream of Russia's defeat, they are introducing new packages of sanctions against our country," Zakharova explained.
Armenia perceives relations with Russia as a tool for financial support for its reorientation toward the European path, she stressed.
"There is a strong feeling that relations with Moscow are perceived in Yerevan as a kind of 'tactical' tool for financial support of the reorientation towards the European path," Zakharova said.
Meanwhile, Russia is convinced that the resumption of Armenia's work in the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) would meet the interests of the republic, and the organization remains the guarantor of regional stability, Zakharova highlighted.
"We remain convinced that the resumption of full-fledged work in the CSTO would primarily meet the interests of Armenia itself. The organization remains an effective and, in fact, an uncontested mechanism for maintaining regional stability," Zakharova said.
Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan want Armenia to decide between its membership in the EAEU and the EU as soon as possible, the spokeswoman added.
When asked about Armenia's debts to the CSTO, Zakharova said that no forms of abstention from financing are provided for in the regulatory documents of the organization.
