Zakharova criticises Pashinyan over remarks about Russia

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova has criticised Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan for using the term “metropolis” in reference to Russia.

According to TodayPress TV, citing Lenta.ru, Zakharova made the remarks during a weekly briefing.

“Yerevan’s statements are an example of Europe’s ‘best’ practices of blaming Russia for its own problems. Claims that Moscow wants to turn Armenia into a province are aimed at pleasing the European Union,” Zakharova said.

According to her, representatives of Armenia’s ruling circles acknowledge that the country’s course towards EU membership has little prospect of success, but they do not openly draw the relevant conclusions.

Commenting on Armenia’s possible withdrawal from the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), the diplomat stressed that Yerevan’s latest accusations against Moscow had not been accompanied by concrete proposals addressing the substance of the issue. The question, she said, is which direction Armenia intends to take next.

Earlier, Nikol Pashinyan described Armenia’s relations with the EAEU as a challenge. The prime minister noted that his government was pursuing a policy of diversifying economic ties, linking this approach to strengthening the country’s sovereignty and independence.

Gultac Mehdizade