Harming Russia’s Interests Has Not Been, Is Not, and Will Not Be on Our Agenda — Pashinyan

YEREVAN — Harming Russia’s interests has not been, is not, and will not be on Armenia’s agenda, and no one can draw the country into acting against Russia, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in an interview broadcast on Armenia’s Public Television, addressing relations with Russia.

“We share the following message with all our partners: harming Russia’s interests has not been, is not, and will not be on our agenda. That is excluded. No one can draw us into a logic of acting against Russia—even if someone were to try. So far, no such attempts have been made, but even if they were, no one could pull us into such a course,” Pashinyan stated.

He added that Armenia also conveys the same message to its Russian partners. “We tell our Russian colleagues: we are not going to fight you, we are not going to argue with you, and we are not going to engage in verbal disputes, because we value the relationship we have,” he said.

According to the Prime Minister, the level of personal relations is also important in this regard. Pashinyan noted that he maintains warm and direct relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.

“This is our strategy: we will not act against Russia, but we will always act in the interests of the Republic of Armenia,” Pashinyan emphasized.

Referring to the document signed in Washington on August 8 and the questions raised among Russian partners afterward, Pashinyan said the Armenian side is ready for open dialogue. He noted that the substance signed in Washington had previously been proposed to the Russian Federation.

“We asked for just five words: territorial integrity, sovereignty, jurisdiction, reciprocity, and the inviolability of borders. We said: put these five words on paper, and I am ready to sign that document at any time,” Pashinyan said.