YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 19, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has reiterated that Armenia is not Russia’s ally in the Ukraine conflict.

“The situation is difficult, so is our stance,” Pashinyan said during his meeting with the Armenian community in Germany where he was on a visit for the Munich Security Conference, when asked on Yerevan’s position in the Ukraine issue.

He said that the Alma-Ata Declaration is the basis for recognition of the independence and territorial integrity of the republics that gained independence after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

“We recognize the Alma-Ata Declaration, but it’s not just for us. 13 Soviet republics have acknowledged the Alma-Ata Declaration, including Russia and Ukraine. By the way, they are the ones who initiated it, because Russia, Ukraine and Belarus decided with the Belovezha Accords that the Soviet Union no longer exists, and that they become independent states and recognize each other’s borders. Our perception in the matter of Ukraine is that the basis for recognizing the independence and territorial integrity of the republics is the Alma-Ata Declaration. In our logic, the same should apply in case of Ukraine, because that document pertains to us all. And if we tear it down, then we tear everything down. I’ve said this long ago, Armenia is not Russia’s ally in the matter of Ukraine, and this is our sincere stance. I said this for the first time two years ago, and we very much regret that we can’t have any impact on that situation. The Ukrainian people are a friendly people to us,” Pashinyan said.