Russian top diplomat criticizes Armenia’s growing engagement with EU

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has cautioned that Armenia’s closer engagement with the European Union inevitably carries consequences.

Speaking at a press conference, Lavrov expressed Moscow’s concern over recent developments surrounding the Armenian Church, Caliber.Az reports, citing Armenian media.

He also referenced statements by Armenian Parliament Speaker Alen Simonyan and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, noting that they have acknowledged the presence of hybrid threats from Russia toward Armenia.

“This can only cause bewilderment. Closer ties with the EU do not pass without a trace. The European Union constantly talks about ‘hybrid threats from Russia.’ The EU provides funding for this—recently, there was a tranche of 15 million euros. I have no doubt that the Brussels bureaucracy will insist that our Armenian friends account for every cent of this tranche,” Lavrov said, emphasizing Moscow’s critical view of the EU’s influence in Armenia.

By Vafa Guliyeva