Federation Council of Russia Calls on Armenia to Evaluate the Consequences of Joining the Rome Statute

The parliamentary newspaper reports that Armenian MPs should study the implications of the country joining the International Criminal Court (ICC) Rome Statute and assess the risks related to allied relations with Russia. This was announced today, July 21, by Yuri Vorobyov, Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council, during a meeting of the inter-parliamentary commission on cooperation between the two countries' legislative bodies.

Vorobyov noted that Armenia's potential accession to the Rome Statute would essentially mean that Yerevan acknowledges the jurisdiction of the Hague tribunal in all matters.

“We proceed from the assumption that our Armenian partners' step does not have an anti-Russian subtext, but nevertheless, it practically inflicts tangible damage to Russian-Armenian relations. We call on our allies to once again carefully consider the consequences of joining the Rome Statute and to assess the possible risks for allied relations with Russia,” highlighted the Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council.

Previously, Maria Zakharova, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, stated that Moscow expects the issue of ratifying the ICC Rome Statute in Armenia to be resolved in an allied manner.

Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov mentioned that the ICC prosecutor merely executes the orders of the West. He made this remark while commenting on the court's decision regarding the arrest of Russian President Vladimir Putin.