The Kremlin commented on Biden’s letter to Pashinyan on deepening cooperation

Cooperation between Armenia and the United States can hardly be as deep as the integration of the economies of the republic and Russia. This was stated by the press secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov.

During a conversation with journalists, he was asked to comment on a letter from US President Joe Biden to Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, in which he promised Strengthen cooperation on energy diversification, sustainability and security.

“If they talk about cooperation in the field of energy and so on, then of course it is unlikely that anything here can be compared with the depth of integration that exists [у Армении] with the Russian economy. It’s unlikely that anything can be compared with indirect subsidies to the Armenian economy,” Peskov said.

The Kremlin representative pointed, in particular, to fairly preferential supplies of natural resources, which make a significant contribution to the development of Armenia. In addition, Russia’s involvement in resolving the conflict in Karabakh cannot be compared with the participation of the United States, he noted. Commenting on the visit of Russian Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev to Yerevan, Peskov added that it was a planned trip.

Russian Foreign Ministry September 25 statedthat Pashinyan, in his message on the occasion of Armenia’s Independence Day on September 24, made unacceptable attacks against Russia, trying to shift responsibility for failures in domestic and foreign policy to Moscow. The Foreign Ministry believes that Pashinyan previously “succumbed to the exhortations” of the EU and recognized Azerbaijan’s sovereignty over Nagorno-Karabakh, thereby violating the tripartite agreements of November 2020.

US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller on the evening of September 25 toldthat Washington advocates the creation of an international mission that would guarantee the rights and security of the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh.

On September 19, Azerbaijan announced the start of “anti-terrorist measures” necessary for the “restoration of the constitutional order” in Nagorno-Karabakh. The next day, Karabakh authorities announced the conclusion of agreements on a complete ceasefire. On September 21, negotiations were held in Yevlakh between the delegation of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh and representatives of the Azerbaijani authorities.