SC Secretary: no relations at expense of other countries

PanARMENIAN.Net - Armen Grigoryan, Secretary of Armenia’s Security Council, stated after a government meeting that Armenia does not develop its relations with any country at the expense of third parties.

“We do not build our relations with any country to the detriment of others. Armenia believes it should strengthen ties with Brussels, EU member states, and the United States. And it is doing so. This is the aim of our relations,” Grigoryan said, as reported by Sputnik Armenia.

He stressed that if relations with the U.S. or the European Union align with Armenia’s interests and strengthen its sovereignty, efforts in this direction will continue.

Grigoryan also addressed why a phone call between Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and the new U.S. President Donald Trump has not yet taken place. According to him, newly appointed officials in the U.S. often face certain limitations during the initial period of assuming their duties. Armenia has expressed readiness to organize the call but has taken these circumstances into account, waiting for members of Trump’s administration to fully assume their roles.

He added that the matter is not limited to a single phone conversation but concerns overall cooperation with the new U.S. president's team.

“Our entire team intends to establish working relations with Trump’s team,” he stated.

As for the UK's concerns regarding the Armenian-Azerbaijani border situation, Grigoryan suggested contacting the British embassy on the matter. However, he emphasized that Yerevan remains concerned about Baku’s rhetoric.

On January 9, the Armenian government approved a draft proposal to begin the process of joining the European Union, presented by the Eurovote civil initiative. The draft will soon be discussed in Armenia's parliament.

The European Union will analyze the draft approved by Armenia's government and discuss it with Armenian authorities, according to Anita Hipper, the EU’s spokesperson for external relations and security.

Russia’s presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov and Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk stated that simultaneous membership in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and the EU is incompatible, as both unions require the absence of customs borders and free movement of goods, services, and labor.