Armenia reduces political dialogue with Russia amid rising tensions

Spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova has said that Armenia began to reduce political dialogue and inter-ministerial cooperation with Russia.

Zakharova made these remarks during a weekly briefing, Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian media.

"Certain political forces in Armenia seem to be deliberately spreading disinformation, claiming that the Collective Security Treaty Organisation [CSTO] has failed to protect Armenia, and so on. This is false information, as we have repeatedly informed about the efforts of the CSTO and Russia, sharing our assessments of the decisions made by the Armenian authorities. We believe that the periodic complaints coming from Yerevan are absurd and do not correspond to the facts," Zakharova stated. 

She emphasised that under these pretences, Armenia has been scaling back its political dialogue and inter-ministerial cooperation with Russia.

“There is constant talk of freezing participation in the CSTO, while simultaneously accelerating ties with the West. There is a certain level of manipulation. Economic indicators clearly show that there is significant interest among people, companies, and businesses in strengthening these connections, while the political framework seems to act in the opposite direction. This could lead to negative consequences,” the diplomat stated.

She also noted that history is full of examples of how such manipulations have been used to mask own miscalculations. 

Meanwhile, Zakharova noted that the information about Russia's involvement in a purported coup attempt in Armenia is false orchestrated by Western intelligence agencies.

"The efforts of certain Armenian officials to use the statement from Armenia's Investigative Committee about the prevention of a coup attempt in search of a supposed Russian connection are absurd and fail to withstand any scrutiny," she emphasised. 

"Moreover, this is clearly a fake. It is possible that this clumsily crafted pseudo-sensation is being driven by advisors from Western intelligence agencies. Their objective is to prevent any improvement in bilateral relations, especially considering the upcoming high-level Russian-Armenian talks," the spokesperson noted.

In this context, she highlighted the disproportionately big number of US embassy staff in Yerevan, totaling around 2,000, many of whom work in information-related roles. 

Zakharova noted that their activities have resulted not only in a deteriorating information landscape in Armenia—becoming increasingly anti-Russian—but also in the emergence of anti-Russian media, the dissemination of explicitly anti-Russian articles, and the artificial cultivation of Russophobic sentiments.

"It’s astonishing how times have changed," Zahakova stressed. 

"Earlier, I heard some political figures in Armenia claim that seizing power is the essence of true democracy. It is regrettable that certain circles in Armenia are adopting the worn-out tactics of Westerners, who have resorted to searching for a phantom Russian threat. Logic suggests that existing issues should be addressed respectfully at the negotiation table rather than being dismissed. If the approach is different, it indicates a fundamental issue—not a search for solutions, but an attempt to evade responsibility for past mistakes and shift that blame onto others," she added.

By Naila Huseynova