Armenian authorities have a hostile position towards Russia while continuing to benefit from trade – Konstantin Zatulin

The Armenian authorities continue to benefit economically from trade with Russia, while clearly having a hostile position towards Russia, Konstantin Zatulin, the First Deputy Chair of the State Duma Committee on CIS Affairs, told Alpha News, speaking about the 27th anniversary of the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance between Russia and Armenia as well as about Armenian-Russian relations.

“I would probably be lying if I said that we have reason to be satisfied with this entire period of diplomatic relations between our countries. Relations between Russia and Armenia, between the Russian and Armenian people, of course, are not limited to diplomatic relations. For tens and hundreds of years, this was mutual support. On the part of Russia, it was patronage of the Armenian population in that explosive conflict region in which Armenians live, in the Caucasus. Today, to our great regret, the Armenian authorities have taken a course toward reorientation. This is probably due to the fact that Russia is currently fighting—not so much with Ukraine but with the consolidated West, which does not hide its intentions to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia,” Zatulin said, adding that despite everything, the fates of Russia and Armenia and both peoples remain interconnected even in this tragic situation.

According to the politician, the Armenian authorities, while continuing to benefit economically from trade with Russia, have clearly taken a hostile position towards it.

“People who essentially did not lift a finger to stop the armed attack on their compatriots, did not take the necessary measures, but rather, on the contrary, for a number of years after coming to power worked to humiliate the Armenian army, to split patriotic people in Armenia, to question the need for Armenia to have any goals, to defend its historical truth, for example, to continue condemning the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire at the beginning of the 20th century, as always happens, are pointing fingers at others and believe that it is a favorable moment for them to blame all the troubles of today’s Armenian people on Russia, to force the Armenian people to turn away from Russia at the most difficult moment in the life of our people in the last decades. But I hope that not only God is their judge, because God is a judge for all of us. I would very much like to believe that these actions, during the lifetime of today’s generations, will be met with resistance from Armenian society and will ultimately prevent the irreparable from happening, namely, Armenia breaking its former historical, human ties with Russia,” Zatulin concluded.