The Russian Foreign Ministry criticized the RA Prime Minister’s speech in the European Parliament

During the briefing, Zakharova expressed her bewilderment regarding Pashinyan’s words about “third countries” and the mention of former KGB officers among the Armenian clergy.

“No, it is unclear to me what “third country” we are talking about, I don’t understand who Nikol Pashinyan is referring to when he talks about KGB officers. Who is he talking about? About Mr. Aliyev?” Zakharova, while answering the question, tried to find out from the journalist who Pashinyan was referring to.

Zakharova responded to the journalist’s observation that it is about the clergy. “In other words, according to the story, we are talking about clergymen who were once agents of the USSR KGB. And now, apparently, these clerics are not obeying his will, they are either resisting or trying to bring him to his senses, as he says, they are trying to sacrifice Armenia’s independence for the interests of third countries,” added the representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry.

In this context, Maria Zakharova also referred to Nikol Pashinyan’s statements regarding the European vector of Armenia’s development. On March 11, in Strasbourg, the head of the Armenian government stated that the country will benefit in any case if it joins the EU.

“I think that when a person says that if they accept the EU, it’s good, and if they don’t, they will win again, then such people usually win when playing chess with themselves,” said the representative of the Foreign Ministry.

Zakharova pointed to the EU’s economic difficulties, including falling industrial production, rising public debt, the migration crisis and high energy prices, which she said are affecting citizens’ living standards.

“Yerevan’s desire to introduce European standards seems strange, considering that Armenia does not participate in their development. At the same time, within the framework of the Eurasian integration structures, for example, the Eurasian Economic Union and the CIS, Armenia fully participates in the decision-making process. Armenia’s economy itself, which, by the way, maintained a growth rate higher than the world average last year, more than 7-7.2%, is largely connected by trade and economic relations with the Eurasian Economic Union,” he emphasized, stressing that, according to Moscow, participation in European and Eurasian integration projects at the same time is impossible.

“This is not related to any political assessment. it is the question of Armenia’s sovereign decision. This is just a statement of fact. “I hope the leadership of Armenia will continue to keep its obligations within the EAEU framework or will clearly state its position,” said Zakharova.