Lavrov: Any issue of interest to Armenian side can be discussed

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has commented on Armenia’s domestic affairs, the law on launching the process of joining the European Union, and the situation surrounding Armenia’s railway network, which is under Russian concession management.

In an interview with RBC, asked about the Russian Foreign Ministry’s position on the detention of former Armenian President Robert Kocharyan and his eldest son, Lavrov said:

“Another president, Serzh Sargsyan, who was defense minister under Kocharyan and later became president, is also under investigation there. The position of our Foreign Ministry is that we are guided by the interests of the Armenian people. We see how the interests of the Armenian people have been intertwined with the interests of our people for centuries. And always, over long periods of time, we have been together, in solidarity with each other. Russia has repeatedly come to the aid of the Armenian people and the leadership of Armenia in difficult situations. Of course, these interests should prevail.

“But now representatives of the current leadership of Yerevan are guided by other objectives. The goal of orientation toward the European Union has been declared, and a law on launching Armenia’s process of joining the European Union has been adopted.

“At the May summit, the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union adopted a statement calling on Armenia’s leadership to hold a referendum and decide whether they want to go to the European Union or remain in the Eurasian Economic Union. In my opinion, this is a completely justified request. The norms of one organization are incompatible with the norms of the other organization. This has been said many times,” Lavrov said.

He addressed Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s statement that a referendum can be discussed when the application to join the European Union is submitted, there is a response to it, and a roadmap for that membership is developed.

Lavrov claimed that this does not speak of particularly great confidence in Armenian voters and the Armenian people.

“The honest choice should be shown: what are you choosing between—the accession to the European Union and the life you live today, when over the past three years trade turnover has exceeded $6 billion and in one year even reached $12 billion, and the country has developed thanks to the Eurasian Economic Union,” Lavrov said.

Asked how relations and ties with Armenia could be prevented from being “destroyed,” Lavrov insisted that Russia has done everything on its part.

“Everything has been done on our part. This concerns all the advantages Armenia has thanks to its participation in the Eurasian Economic Union, and all the advantages it receives by purchasing energy resources from us at three to four times lower prices than in the European Union. We have regular contacts between the deputy prime ministers. Any issue of interest to the Armenian side can be discussed, including the situation concerning the South Caucasus Railway company, which is under the concession management of Russian Railways. And we are surprised to hear how these issues, if they have already arisen, are immediately brought into the public sphere instead of being discussed with the partner,” the Russian Foreign Minister said.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has called on Russia to sell its concession management rights over the Armenian railways to a third country. Moscow has so far refused to do so. Pashinyan argued that investors and freight shippers are avoiding using it because of Russian sanctions.

The Russian Foreign Ministry, for its part, has accused the West of “blackmailing Armenia’s leadership” over the concession of the South Caucasus Railway.

The Russian Foreign Ministry claimed that the West is demanding that Armenia eliminate the “Russian factor” in the transport sector, while in return promising multimillion-dollar investments and access to projects whose economic viability is “hardly noticeable.”