RF MFA rep: Socio-economic consequences of Armenia`s "jump" into  Europe  are being concealed from the Armenian people

ArmInfo. The socio-economic consequences of the country's "jump" into Europe are being concealed from the Armenian people, and current export difficulties are  being falsely portrayed as restrictions imposed by Moscow.

This was stated by Alexey Fadeev, Deputy Director of the Information and Press  Department  of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, during a  press- briefing on August 6, in response to a request to comment on  recent statements by high-ranking Armenian officials regarding  Russian-Armenian relations.

He noted that the Russian side had seen them and believes that  Yerevan, when making these statements, was engaged in some kind of  speculation, the purpose of which is obvious. "It stems from an  intention to shift responsibility to others. The emergence of  problems with Russia and the EAEU is explained by the fact that  Armenia was merely trying to find alternatives, both politically and  economically. And of course, creating a multi-vector state is a task  and priority for the political leadership of any country, but we  shouldn't confuse the concepts. Because if we hide behind the  beautiful word "diversification" a pivot away from Eurasian  integration and a traditional ally toward the European Union (EU),  which is openly hostile to Russia and which is even more so  considering the possibility of a direct confrontation with the  country, then the conclusion is obvious," Fadeyev clarified.

According to him, this is nothing more than outright deception, not  only in relation to its Eurasian integration partners but also to its  own population. "It's no wonder that the socioeconomic consequences  of such a jump into Europe are being concealed from Armenian  citizens, and current export difficulties are being presented as some  kind of restrictions from Moscow. But we must understand that these  are not our restrictions, but the reality that awaits the Republic if  traditional ties are severed. We have repeatedly asked the Armenian  leadership to speak honestly about all the pros and cons of such a  reorientation toward the EU. Unfortunately, this has not been done  and is still not being done," the Russian Foreign Ministry  representative noted.

He believes that Yerevan is thus abandoning its exclusive  relationship with Moscow, which allegedly hindered the search for  alternative vectors. Instead, he says, the population is being  offered a multitude of signed declarations on allied cooperation with  Western countries. However, as Fadeyev noted, it is important to  recognize that documents replete with catchy phrases are not legally  binding. "And in practice, they lead to nothing, unlike the array of  Russian-Armenian treaties and agreements. Neither Brussels, nor  London, nor Paris will invest seriously in the Armenian economy. This  is quite obvious. And we remember very well that back in 2024,  Yerevan's freelance consultant, former NATO Secretary General Fogh  Rasmussen, noted that the Republic is a low-cost enterprise for the  West," the Russian Foreign Ministry representative noted.

In the context of Russian-Armenian relations, he noted that, instead  of constructive dialogue, the Russian side is witnessing Yerevan's  attempts to up the ante or resort to blackmail. This, Fadeyev  explained, includes the persecution of pro-Russian figures and the  threat of arbitration proceedings against Russian companies operating  in Armenia, which are major taxpayers. "This also includes demands  that Moscow pay billions of dollars for projects that the current  authorities themselves, at the dawn of their political careers,  refused to give up. Incidentally, before making such statements, it  would be wise to familiarize themselves with the agreements and legal  framework, which clearly spell out who owes whom and how much. This  line raises doubts about the readiness of Armenia's ruling circles  for genuine allied cooperation with Russia.  And if Yerevan is  seeking to ensure that its interests are taken into account, then why  shouldn't Moscow make a similar reciprocal demand of its Armenian  partners? For now, we see that the leadership perceives the prospects  for our relations as a one-way street, and of course, we are hoping  for a more balanced and realistic approach," the Russian Foreign  Ministry representative concluded.