Development of ties with United States and European Union is Armenia’s sovereign right – Russian FM
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The development of relations with the U.S. and the EU is Armenia’s sovereign right, Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov has said.
Commenting on the Armenian government’s approval of a bill on an EU integration process, Lavrov said at a press conference that the move is Armenia’s sovereign choice. However, he said that the positive and negative aspects must be weighed.
“Of course, the decision of the legitimate leadership of Armenia to start a process of joining any international organization where it is awaited is a sovereign decision. But weighing all positive and negative sides is perhaps also the obligation of the Armenian leadership and those dealing with the economy,” Lavrov said.
“Yesterday I heard that Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will sign an agreement on strategic partnership. But it is the sovereign right of the two countries,” Lavrov said.
“We have also used the term strategic partnership in several agreements with Western countries, but these agreements never demanded any of the parties to act against third countries,” Lavrov said.
Speaking about the current phase of the Armenia-Russia relations, Lavrov described the ties as not easy.
“Regarding the current relations, on the official level they are not ordinary or easy,” he said.