A delegation of the International Affairs Committee of the Russian Federation Federal Assembly headed by Konstantin Kosachev is in Armenia on a working visit. The latter and Chairman of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Foreign Relations Armen Ashotyan held a joint press conference to summarize the joint work of the two committees. Mr. Ashotyan said that this format has proven its effectiveness as an important and frank platform for the Armenian-Russian political dialogue.
He noted that they had a very busy agenda, discussed bilateral relations, regional security, Eurasian integration, etc. As a result of joint work, a statement was signed, which addressing regional security issues, highlighted the importance of the implementation of the agreements reached at the St. Petersburg Summit in Vienna. The statement also states that the results of the meeting between the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Geneva should be implemented.
Konstantin Kosachev thanked the Armenian side for an open, frank and effective discussion. He noted that considering the format of this parliamentary works in recent years, they have had a very effective cooperation with Armenia: “We do not have such a format, for example, with Azerbaijan”.
He said that this is conditioned by the cordiality of our two countries and the overlapping of interests in many issues. Kosachev mentioned that they discussed a number of issues with the Armenian side during joint meetings and there are no undiscussed issues between them.
Journalists asked Kosachev, last September in China Vladimir Putin, commenting on the sale of American weapons to Ukraine, said that it is unacceptable to sell weapons to a conflicting country, but it is well-known that from 2011 Russia has sold about 5 billion arms to Azerbaijan. How can this contradiction be possible, that in one hand one sells arms to the conflicting country and, in the other hand says that it is unacceptable? Kosachev replied that it concerns the armed conflicts that are in the “hot” stage, as it was in Ukraine: “Fortunately, the Nagorno Karabakh conflict is not at that stage. We all understand that the situation is explosive and the April 2016 events are another proof of those tragic events. Russia fulfills the treaties that have been signed by April 2016 and we have to act so in accordance with those treaties. That was the situation that existed until that moment, and according to my information, in the future it will not be carried out on the scale that has been carried out before. Of course, we respond to the situation that was in April 2016. There is no doubt about this”.
Hripsime JEBEJYAN
