Armenia delivers formal protest to Russia over hostile media attacks

Armenia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has formally delivered a note of protest to Russian Ambassador Sergey Kopyrkin in response to statements made by Russian state media and certain official figures targeting the Armenian government.

The announcement was made by Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ani Badalyan, Caliber.Az reports, citing Armenian media.

The ministry expressed strong dissatisfaction with the openly hostile and unfriendly propaganda broadcast on Russian state television channels against Armenia’s authorities.

“Given that this issue remains at the forefront of public attention within the Republic of Armenia and is the subject of intense debate, we do not conceal the content of the note from our citizens,” the statement read.

The Ministry’s note vehemently condemns the sustained campaign of hostile rhetoric in Russian media, which is further intensified by remarks from some Russian officials, State Duma members, media outlets, and members of the expert community. It underscores that offensive statements aired live on Russian state channels and attacks on Armenian government activities are wholly unacceptable and serve to undermine the positive outcomes of recent high-level visits between Armenia and Russia.

The note specifically highlights that the remarks and statements made by certain members of the State Duma of the Russian Federation concerning the legitimate actions taken by Armenian law enforcement to thwart the attempted coup provoke not only astonishment but also strong indignation. These statements portray the arrest of individuals involved in the coup plot as “yet another unfriendly act by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.”

Such characterizations are described by the Armenian Foreign Ministry as both “absurd” and a “blatant interference” in Armenia’s domestic affairs. The note further suggests that this media and political stance appears deliberately aimed at destabilizing Armenia’s democracy, rule of law, and constitutional order.

In closing, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged its Russian counterparts to promptly take effective measures to put an end to these unfriendly provocations against Armenia.

By Vafa Guliyeva