Foreign Ministry shrugs off allegations that Armenia is aggravating relations with Russia
YEREVAN, October 27. /ARKA/. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's statement regarding the Russian military base in Armenia does not indicate that Armenia is changing relations with Russia or is on the way to changing its foreign policy vector, Deputy Foreign Minister Vahan Kostanyan said today.
'Armenia sees no advantage in hosting Russian military bases on its territory,' Nikol Pashinyan said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal published on Wednesday.
Kostanyan disagreed with allegations that Armenia is aggravating relations with Russia. "This is a normal working process, partners have questions to each other, which we clarify through diplomats," Kostanyan told reporters.
Commenting on Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's words that Armenia can "try its luck" at European platforms, but Moscow has the maps for demarcation of its borders with Azerbaijan , Kostanyan said that the maps in question are those published in 1974-1978, which were provided to Armenia and Azerbaijan by different mediators and both sides are familiar with them.
In the WSJ interview Pashinyan was asked whether Russia's military presence in Armenia was an asset or a liability. Nikol Pashinyan said,' At least at this moment I have already said that, unfortunately, we have not seen the advantages.'
Asked whether that means that Armenia is planning to ask Russia to withdraw its military bases from Armenia Pashinyan said the Armenian government was not discussing such a question now.
'We are now more focused on discussing other issues, we are trying to understand what is the cause of such a situation, and of course, I also think that this will be the agenda of working discussions between Armenia and Russia, Armenia and the Collective Security Treaty Organization.' .
Pashinyan said also that Azerbaijan seizure of Nagorno-Karabakh has essentially brought Armenia to a decision that it needs to diversify its relationships in the security sphere.0-
