Pashinyan says 'apricot war' was an attempt to destabilize Russia
29.07.2020,
16:12
In an interview with the Russian TV channel RBC Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that the "apricot war" unleashed by Azerbaijanis against Armenians in Moscow was an attempt to destabilize Russia.
YEREVAN, July 29. /ARKA/. In an interview with the Russian TV channel RBC Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that the "apricot war" unleashed by Azerbaijanis against Armenians in Moscow was an attempt to destabilize Russia.
A few weeks ago, Moscow's largest wholesale food market, owned by Azerbaijani-born entrepreneurs God Nisanov and Zarakh Iliev, refused to sell apricots imported from Armenia following the July 12 outbreak of the hostilities on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.
The move sparked an outcry from many Moscow Armenians who queued up to buy those apricots in a show of support for Armenia. On July 19, the food market reversed its decision, however, a few days later, another wholesale market in Moscow owned by Araz Agalarov, also a native of Azerbaijan, stopped selling Armenian agricultural products, beverages and prepared foodstuffs.
“There is a very important nuance in these events, connected not only with the situation in our region. This is an attempt to destabilize Russia. This is an attempt to turn Russia into a field of interethnic conflicts,” Pashinyan said.
Pashinyan noted that since the purpose of these actions was to destabilize Russia, Armenia’s position is unambiguous: these provocations cannot be succumbed to.
“The stability of Russia is a strategically important factor for us. My appeal is simply to stop all this, because all those people who live in Russia are obliged to comply with its laws. This is not only unacceptable in the political and legislative sense, but also in the moral sense,” the prime minister said.
In the past few days, Armenian social media users have been urging compatriots in Moscow to be vigilant, claiming that Azeri groups are attacking Armenians and smashing cars with Armenian plate numbers.
In particular, on July 24 clashes were reported between Armenians and Azerbaijanis in different parts of Moscow. Later, local courts ordered the arrest of five Azerbaijanis and five Armenians for participating in mass clashes. They are accused of hooliganism, and may be deported from the Russian Federation.
Armenian Ambassador to Russia Vardan Toganyan in an interview with the radio station "This is Moscow" called the incident a provocation and noted that the clashes were planned by the Azerbaijani side. Earlier clashes between representatives of the Armenian and Azerbaijani communities were reported in the UK, USA, and Belgium. -0-
A few weeks ago, Moscow's largest wholesale food market, owned by Azerbaijani-born entrepreneurs God Nisanov and Zarakh Iliev, refused to sell apricots imported from Armenia following the July 12 outbreak of the hostilities on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.
The move sparked an outcry from many Moscow Armenians who queued up to buy those apricots in a show of support for Armenia. On July 19, the food market reversed its decision, however, a few days later, another wholesale market in Moscow owned by Araz Agalarov, also a native of Azerbaijan, stopped selling Armenian agricultural products, beverages and prepared foodstuffs.
“There is a very important nuance in these events, connected not only with the situation in our region. This is an attempt to destabilize Russia. This is an attempt to turn Russia into a field of interethnic conflicts,” Pashinyan said.
Pashinyan noted that since the purpose of these actions was to destabilize Russia, Armenia’s position is unambiguous: these provocations cannot be succumbed to.
“The stability of Russia is a strategically important factor for us. My appeal is simply to stop all this, because all those people who live in Russia are obliged to comply with its laws. This is not only unacceptable in the political and legislative sense, but also in the moral sense,” the prime minister said.
In the past few days, Armenian social media users have been urging compatriots in Moscow to be vigilant, claiming that Azeri groups are attacking Armenians and smashing cars with Armenian plate numbers.
In particular, on July 24 clashes were reported between Armenians and Azerbaijanis in different parts of Moscow. Later, local courts ordered the arrest of five Azerbaijanis and five Armenians for participating in mass clashes. They are accused of hooliganism, and may be deported from the Russian Federation.
Armenian Ambassador to Russia Vardan Toganyan in an interview with the radio station "This is Moscow" called the incident a provocation and noted that the clashes were planned by the Azerbaijani side. Earlier clashes between representatives of the Armenian and Azerbaijani communities were reported in the UK, USA, and Belgium. -0-
