Lavrov: Russia never initiated cooling of ties with Armenia

Russia has never initiated any cooling of relations with Armenia, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a press conference on Thursday, in response to a question whether the problems in bilateral relations have been resolved.

"We have never been the initiators of any cooling in these ties. Yes, we remember when many of Armenia's current officials, while still opposition members, called for the country's withdrawal from the Collective Security Treaty Organization and the Eurasian Economic Union at various political processes, including election campaigns,” he said.

“When [Armenian Prime Minister Nikol] Pashinyan came to power, we did not have even the slightest impulse to somehow distance ourselves from Yerevan. Everything developed in the same way as under his predecessor in the economy, energy, social sphere and military-political affairs," Lavrov stated.