Interfax – Russia & CIS General Newswire
Monday 3:43 PM MSK
Pashinyan calls Armenia-Russia relations strategic, seeks broader ties with EU
YEREVAN. April 30
Moscow and Yerevan have allied relations, Armenian protest movement leader and Elk parliamentary faction head Nikol Pashinyan said.
"Armenian-Russian relations are indeed strategic and allied. This is the reality that we take into consideration," Pashinyan said at a meeting with members of the parliamentary faction of Armenia's ruling Republican Party.
"As far as the CSTO [Collective Security Treaty Organization] is concerned, it would be useful to specify allied relations and relations of partnership within the framework of this organization. Mutual obligations should be documented in order to precisely formulate expectations as well. We will not raise the possibility of quitting the CSTO," he said.
Pashinyan also reiterated the need to further promote Armenia's relations with the European Union.
"We ought to develop relations with the EU, but not to the detriment of relations with other countries. It is wrong to describe our movement as pro-American or pro-Russian. Our movement is pro-Armenian," he said.
Russian weapons sales to Azerbaijan will stay on the agenda of Armenia's new government, Pashinyan said later.
"As you know, we have already met with Russian colleagues. The topic of Russian arms sales to Azerbaijan was discussed as well. We will continue to discuss this issue and keep this increasingly important problem in our spotlight," he said.