A senior lawmaker representing the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) on Thursday accused Russia of seeking to limit his country’s sovereignty and block its closer ties with the European Union.
Hakob Hakobian, who chairs the Armenian parliament committee on social affairs, charged that Russian commentators’ harsh criticism of a landmark Armenia-EU agreement signed last week was the result of a “political order.”
“If you think that Russia is happy that we are addressing the issue of our sovereignty I won’t agree with you because Russia doesn’t want that,” Hakobian told RFE/RL’s Armenian service (Azatutyun.am). “The key thing for Russia is not what you are or who you are but to what extent you listen to it.”
“That is why I expect even worse manifestations [of Russian anger.] But don’t worry, it’s normal,” he said, adding that Moscow will eventually come to terms with Yerevan’s European integration drive.
Unlike Hakobian, another senior HHK member, Karen Avagian, denied any Russian government involvement in the verbal attacks on the EU-Armenia Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA) aired through Russia’s state-controlled TV channels in recent days.“This is the opinion of a certain group, certain individuals,” he said.
Avagian argued that Russian government reaction to the signing of the CEPA has not been negative.
Still, another HHK parliamentarian, Karine Achemian, suggested that the Russians feel “offended” by the deal. “The agreement has already been signed, it’s an accomplished fact, and we will be doing down that path,” she said. “They should come to terms with that.”