The Council of Europe decided on February 25 to suspend all representatives of Russia from participation in the pan-European rights body’s decision-making Committee of Ministers and its Parliamentary Assembly (PACE).
“Suspension is not a final measure but a temporary one, leaving channels of communication open,” the Strasbourg-based organization said in a statement.
The decision was backed by 42 Council of Europe member states. Armenia was the only member state that joined Russia in opposing it.
Eduard Aghajanian, the pro-government chairman of the Armenian parliament committee on foreign relations, said Yerevan objected to the suspension because it stands for a “diplomatic” solution to the conflict in Ukraine.
“The more the diplomatic channels are severed, the lower the likelihood of resolving the issue by diplomatic means,” Aghajanian told reporters. “It is in this context that Armenia voted against.”
Armenia - Eduard Aghajanian talks to journalists, September 18, 2019.
Armenia’s stance was consistent with its voting record in the United Nations. Both the current and former Armenian governments had voted against UN General Assembly resolutions condemning Russia’s annexation of Crimea and upholding Ukrainian sovereignty over the Black Sea peninsula.
Russia has long been Armenia’s main military and political ally. The South Caucasus state’s dependence on Moscow for defense and security deepened further following the 2020 war with Azerbaijan.
Yerevan has still not officially reacted to the Russian invasion strongly condemned by the international community. In a statement issued on February 23, the day before the invasion began, the Armenian Foreign Ministry said it regards both Russia and Ukraine as “friendly countries” and hopes that they will resolve their conflict through “diplomatic dialogue.”
Tigran Abrahamian, a senior lawmaker representing the opposition bloc Pativ Unem, on Tuesday criticized the Armenian leadership for not openly backing Russia’s military action.
“If you are demonstrating neutrality and not showing any support for your ally Russia … you must accept that in another situation Russia will act [vis-à-vis Armenia] just like you do in the current circumstances,” said Abrahamian.