Yerevan’s participation in the Rome Statute directly harms the relations between Armenia and Russia. Maria Zakharova, the spokesperson of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), stated this at Wednesday’s press briefing—and commenting on Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan’s statement that Armenia was ready to work together with the International Criminal Court (ICC) on ensuring international legal norms and the rule of law.
According to Zakharova, the view of the Russian side in this matter is well known, including to the Armenian colleagues.
“Yerevan’s participation in the so-called ‘Rome Statute’ [of the ICC] in The Hague in connection with the quasi-warrants for the arrest of a number of Russian officials causes direct damage to Armenian-Russian relations. Moreover, not only symbolically, but also completely concretely,” she said.
Zakharova emphasized that if Armenia’s collaboration with the ICC could contribute to the strengthening of some international legal norms, then it could somehow have been understood and even welcomed. But, according to her, the “two-decade operation of the fake court indicates otherwise.”
