They adopted the statements at a meeting in Moscow held on the eve of a summit of the leaders of ex-Soviet countries making up the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).
The press office of the CIS Secretariat in Minsk said one of the documents deplores “unilateral restrictive measures” taken by unnamed nations or blocs for the purpose of “forcing another state to change its policy.” It singles out the freezing or confiscation of that state’s assets or restrictions on its citizens’ freedom of travel. Such sanctions violate international law and the UN Charter in particular, according the statement.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stressed its importance at a news conference held after the ministerial meeting. In that context, he again strongly condemned the sweeping Western sanctions that have been imposed on Russia since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
“The United States and its satellites are trying to expand sanctions in the form of so-called secondary and tertiary illegal sanctions [against third states,]” he said. “We know how to counter that criminal activity.”
The other statement lays out “the principles of cooperation in ensuring security in Eurasia.” According to the CIS Secretariat, it emphasizes the “inadmissibility of imposing rules, standards and norms in international relations, in the development of which the equal participation of all interested states was not ensured.”
In a clear jibe at the West, the statement says that CIS countries “strongly condemn any attempts at forcible diktat aimed, among other things, at undermining the processes of integration and equal cooperation in Eurasia.” They stand for “adaptation of the Eurasian architecture of interaction in the areas of security, economics, culture and other spheres to multipolar realities.”
The Armenian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Ani Badalian, told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service that Mirzoyan did not sign either statement. Badalian gave no reason for Yerevan’s stance.
Mirzoyan’s refusal highlights the Armenian leadership’s deepening rift with Moscow and efforts to reorient Armenia towards the West. Russian officials have repeatedly warned that this foreign policy change could have severe consequences for the South Caucasus country’s security and economic development.