Sputnik News Service
 Friday 6:45 PM UTC


US Must Counter Russia's 'Malign' Activity in Armenia - Senator Menendez



WASHINGTON, June 29 (Sputnik) – The United States should resist
Russia’s activities in Armenia, US Senator Robert Menendez said  on
Friday.

“The Kremlin has made no secret of its agenda to undermine democracies
across the world, and we must work together to counter such malign
Russian influence in Armenia,” Menendez said in a statement after
meeting with Armenian President Armen Sarkissian.

Menendez acknowledged the multiple challenges Yerevan faces. In
particular, he condemned the “Turkish aggression from the Eastern
Mediterranean to northern Syria” as "unacceptable."

The senator also called for an end to Azerbaijan's "bellicose
behavior" in Nagorno-Karabakh.

He praised the peaceful protests in Armenia in recent months, calling
the demonstrations “a powerful and inspiring example of citizens
making their voices heard.”

 Armenia experienced a political crisis after ex-President Serzh
Sargsyan was nominated as country’s prime minister. The situation led
to massive protests led by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, which
finally resulted in Sargsyan's resignation on April 23, followed by
Pashinyan's election as the Armenian prime minister on May 8.
Following Pashinyan’s election, the formerly ruling Republican Party
of Armenia, which still has the majority of seats in the parliament,
declared itself an opposition party.