Alen Simonyan: We Will Not Go to War With Russia Over Any Issue

YEREVAN — “We will not go to war or engage in conflict with Russia over any issue. We will raise all problems openly and try to move forward by resolving them,” said National Assembly Speaker Alen Simonyan.

“All issues with Russia are discussed and resolved. We do not pose any threat to Russia. We are not preparing to become a threat, and there is no such intention. There are issues, and such issues exist in all countries — sometimes they intensify, sometimes they decrease. We, as politicians, are here to discuss and solve these issues,” Simonyan stated.

When asked whether Russian officials had reacted with understanding to Armenia’s remarks that it would remain in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) as long as possible, Simonyan replied that if they did not respond with understanding, Armenia would discuss the matter with them.

“In reality, we are now trying to combine both directions. Back when Serzh Sargsyan negotiated an association agreement with the EU for two to three years and then entered the Customs Union overnight, there was also a period when both were being balanced. Documents were signed, and solutions were found. There are many similar examples,” the Speaker noted.

Earlier, during Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on April 1, Putin pointed to the economic consequences of Armenia’s foreign policy choices, stressing that “it is impossible to be in a customs union with the European Union while also remaining in the EAEU.”