Armenia's Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan responded to recent comments made by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, urging him and other Russian officials to refrain from interfering in Armenia’s internal affairs and political processes.
“Mr. Lavrov’s information is neither accurate nor complete. He referred to a so-called ‘struggle of the authorities against the Church,’ which does not reflect the reality in Armenia,” Mirzoyan stated during a press conference, addressing a journalist’s question about Lavrov’s remarks expressing concern over the relationship between the Armenian Government and the Church.
“Apparently, Mr. Lavrov is referring to instances where certain clergy members have been involved in political activities or processes. According to Armenia’s law enforcement agencies, the matter concerns participation in—or orchestration of—an attempted illegal coup,” Mirzoyan said.
“I want to emphasize once again that this is a legal process and strictly an internal affair of Armenia. As you correctly quoted,” he said, turning to the journalist, “it would be better if Mr. Lavrov refrained from involving himself in Armenia’s domestic matters.”
Mirzoyan went on to address not only Lavrov but also his counterparts in Russia's Parliament and media:
“I would like to take this opportunity to call on Mr. Lavrov’s parliamentary colleagues and media representatives to do the same. I believe officials, lawmakers, and media figures in the Russian Federation should treat Armenia’s sovereignty with the utmost respect and refrain from interfering in our internal affairs in the future,” he stressed.
Lavrov had earlier commented on the recent political developments in Armenia, stating that the Armenian Apostolic Church has always been one of the pillars of Armenian society and expressing concern that it may be subjected to “unjustified attacks without serious grounds.”
