RA NA speaker presents Armenia`s stance on EAEU, CSTO membership, sensitive issues at meeting with Russian FM
ArmInfo. During an official visit to Moscow, Armenian Parliament Speaker Alen Simonyan held talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, presenting Yerevan's positions on membership in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), as well as sensitive issues in bilateral relations.
At the opening of the talks, Simonyan stated that Armenia is interested in ties with Russia, and there is no other understanding in Armenia. "At the same time, for obvious reasons, we have been trying to resolve the situation in our region since the first days after the end of the war, and, in my opinion, we have succeeded quite well. We have come quite far, in a good way, with Azerbaijan, and we are already planning to sign a real peace treaty, which is very important for our future," the speaker of the Armenian parliament said.
At the same time, he emphasized that he does not want Russia to perceive that Armenia is attempting to do anything against Russia, against a friendly allied state. "Despite the fact that there are issues that need to be discussed, and I understand this, and you and your colleague Ararat Samvelovich are discussing all of this, and the leaders of our countries are doing so quite successfully, I want to assure you that we do not have this perception of 'with us or against us'-we do not and will not. We believe this is wrong, it is wrong for Armenia and for everything we already have and have," Simonyan added.
At the same time, the head of the Armenian government acknowledged that Yerevan is, of course, concerned by the rhetoric often heard in the public sphere. According to him, this concerns not only the Armenian authorities but also Armenian society. "I shared my understanding with the ambassador. Let's say there are politicians today, and tomorrow they will be replaced by others, but Armenian society reacts very negatively to the statements coming from Moscow. They react this way because Moscow is important, opinions are important, and the understanding that Moscow is an ally has always been and remains, so it is very painful to hear such statements," he said. Regarding the Armenian government's position on the CSTO, Simonyan stated that Moscow is aware of it: Yerevan has questions that remain unanswered. He added that these questions have been raised many times, and he will not repeat them.
As for membership in the Eurasian Economic Union, Simonyan said that the Armenian government does not believe it should withdraw. "We believe we can work together to find a solution that will be beneficial to both sides," the speaker of the Armenian parliament concluded.