Russia still ready to build friendly relations with Armenia, says Russian MP

Speaking with Alpha News, Chair of Russia’s Federation Council Foreign Affairs Committee Konstantin Kosachev commented on the crisis in Armenian-Russian relations and the possibility of Armenia’s withdrawal from the CSTO on the sidelines of the 10th Primakov Readings International Forum.

According to the MP, Russia is still ready to build friendly relations with Armenia.

“Russia is definitely ready to build friendly and allied relations with Armenia, as it has done in recent years. I am sure that we will adhere to this line until the end, but it takes two to tango, and the final outcome of this situation does not depend on Russia. It depends on Armenia; it depends on the extent to which the current leadership is aware of the risks of the antagonism towards Russia and the completely irresponsible, in my opinion, rapprochement with the West.

We have seen from the example of several other post-Soviet countries what this rapprochement leads to, and we certainly do not want Armenia to suffer the same fate. So, either the current leadership is aware of these risks and stops at the finish line, or, alas, it will become more and more difficult,” Kosachev said.

According to him, Russia believes that everything will sooner or later fall into place in relations with Armenia.

“The fate of Armenia is determined by the people of Armenia; we definitely do not interfere in Armenia’s internal affairs. We observe with regret what is happening now in our relations, but we sincerely believe that this is a temporary clouding of the Armenian administration’s minds and everything will sooner or later fall into place. The Russian and Armenian peoples are absolutely friendly towards each other and close to each other.

It would be historically unfair towards our ancestors to destroy these relations, and it would be absolutely irresponsible for our descendants not to preserve these relations,” Kosachev concluded.