Mirzoyan: Armenia has absolutely no desire to create tension in  Armenian-Russian relations

ArmInfo.  Armenia  has absolutely no desire to create tensions in Armenian-Russian  relations:  in political dialogue,  in economic relations, neither in  bilateral nor within multilateral cooperation platforms—the EAEU, the  CIS, and others. Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan made this  statement at a press conference in Yerevan on May 26, while  commenting on current bilateral frictions and recent trade  disruptions involving the export of "Jermuk" mineral water, flowers,  fruits, and alcoholic beverages.

Mirzoyan stated that the Armenian authorities are aware of certain  statements being made by their Russian colleagues. We believe that  all problems that have arisen or may arise—and issues inevitably  emerge from time to time in any relationship—should be discussed in a  healthy, constructive, and partner-like atmosphere to find solutions.  I notice a tendency to attribute these issues to some geopolitical  tension between Armenia and Russia, or to frame them as a consequence  of Armenia's European, pro-European, or pro-Western orientation—as  some put it—or to link them to the upcoming elections. I'm afraid to  disappoint those who think so: problems of this kind have always  existed," the Armenian Foreign Minister added.

Mirzoyan said that anyone making the effort could also find examples  of difficulties involving exports of fruit, vegetables or alcoholic  beverages from Armenia to Russia dating back five to 25 years.  " If  you look through past media reports, this issue has always come up  from time to time. And today, as soon as the harvest season opens,  some issue regarding a specific fruit or vegetable inevitably arises  .And it's also very important to note—for example, they say  'alcohol.' This is not true. It's not as if wine imports are banned.  The problem is linked to a specific company, and not to all of that  company's products, but to one specific type of product. And why do  we rule out the possibility that these problems could also be  objective? After all, sometimes we also see dishonest practices on  the part of producers in one area or another. I don't want to say  that this is necessarily the case, but it's obviously not the case  that this hasn't happened before, and now, against the backdrop of  our election campaign or some other narrative, the Russian  authorities are taking such steps. Again, to summarize: problems  exist, these problems have always arisen, and we are determined to  find solutions in an atmosphere of constructive, healthy,  partner-based discussions," he continued. 

In this context, Mirzoyan emphasized the need for economic  diversification. "It's impossible, even theoretically, to abstract  from Armenian-Russian relations or from these days. For any country,  it's always very useful and definitely advantageous to have diverse  sources of both supply and consumption. This is such an axiomatic  truth, and I believe that both the Armenian government and businesses  should make efforts in this direction. Ultimately, governments can  sign agreements, reach understandings, and create an environment, but  commerce itself must be carried out by businesses and companies. So  we intend to move in this direction as well. Yes, diversification is  essential for us, and we must take continuous steps toward securing  new import sources and consumer markets," he concluded.