Moscow and Yerevan Relations Are Not Clear, Lavrov

During a press conference in Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov assessed Armenia's preparations for joining the European Union. Local media report on this matter.

“Russia and Armenia are friendly and brotherly peoples, but at the official level, the relations between Moscow and Yerevan are not clear,” said the minister.

Lavrov reminded that following the Armenian government's decision to begin the process of joining the EU, Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk noted that the EU and the EAEU are incompatible: “They have different customs systems and tariffs. They do not coincide.”

“This is a sovereign decision, but after weighing all the positive and negative aspects, it is the responsibility of the Armenian authorities,” said Sergey Lavrov.

Regarding Armenia's refusal to participate in the CSTO mission, Lavrov emphasized that “this was a sovereign decision.”

The Russian Foreign Minister also added that he does not see issues regarding Armenia's contacts with Western countries and the EU. “But when countries, which are distanced from our territory, traditions, and history — not in a colonial framework — announce that an EU mission will ensure security, for example, in the Syunik region, I really do not understand that,” concluded Lavrov.

He also added that, according to Russian sources, “the EU observer mission stationed in Armenia is mostly engaged not so much in Armenian issues, but in matters that are of interest to Western alliances.”