Pashinyan: Armenia will not abandon purchasing wheat from Russia but will also consider other offers

Armenia will never abandon purchasing wheat from Russia, but it will also not refuse to consider offers from other suppliers in the market, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said during the Parliament–Cabinet Q&A session on Wednesday.

His remarks came in response to questions regarding statements made by the Russian intelligence agency and the Russian President's press secretary.

The Prime Minister officially denied claims that Armenia, “for political reasons,” is seeking to “shift away” from Moscow and “assist” Kyiv by purchasing Ukrainian grain at higher prices and abandoning Russian grain supplies. The Russian agency had alleged that Armenia intended to cover the price difference using funds from the European Union.
Pashinyan denied this information at a briefing with reporters on November 11.  However,  the press secretary of the Russian president, Dmitry Peskov, stated that the Russian intelligence agency "never disseminates unsubstantiated reports".

“Armenia will never refuse to purchase wheat from Russia- I say this officially,” Pashinyan stated. “At the same time, Armenia will not refuse to consider other offers in the market. It is out of the question that someone will come and say, "We have wheat, can you buy it?" and we will cover our ears and run away. That will not happen."

The Prime Minister added that Armenia has already received proposals from other sellers. “When other suppliers saw that Armenia had purchased wheat from Kazakhstan, they asked whether their offers would interest us,” he said.

“We ask about the price. If the price is good, it will be interesting; if not, we will say it is not. What is the problem? Is buying wheat a marriage? I do not understand that logic. We have not entered into such a relationship with anyone in the wheat trade,” Pashinyan added.

As for the report by the Russian intelligence agency, Pashinyan recalled that in the spring of 2022, the same agency ruled out an escalation on the border, citing the presence of CSTO forces. 'On September 20, 2020, it also said there would be no escalation. I suggest we not enter that field," the Prime Minister concluded.