News - Vladimir Vardanyan: Rome Statute ratification cannot spoil Armenia's relations with Russia

The Armenian side, led by Yeghishe Kirakosyan, Armenia's representative on international legal affairs, had invited Russia to sign an agreement that would rule out any speculation. Vladimir Vardanyan, chairman of the National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs and member of the ruling Civil Contract Party, told reporters at the NA about this on Tuesday—and with respect to the NA approving the ratification of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.  Also, Vardanyan expressed confidence that Armenia’s ratification of the Rome Statute cannot spoil Armenian-Russian relations, and if the relevant agreement is signed, it will benefit the development of these relations. "As for the Russian president’s visit [to Armenia after the aforesaid ratification], it has never happened in international practice that a sitting president of any country has been handed over to the International Criminal Court," Vardanyan said, adding that every sovereign state has the right to independently decide which international documents to join. He assured that there are no disagreements in the ruling party of Armenia regarding voting, and suggested looking for them among their opposition colleagues. As reported earlier, the National Assembly of Armenia today approved the ratification of the Rome Statute. The parliamentary opposition, however, boycotted the respective debates, arguing that the Rome Statute does not serve Armenia's foreign policy interests. And Artsvik Minasyan, secretary of the opposition Armenia Faction, added that its ratification runs counter to the constitution of Armenia. The Constitutional Court of Armenia had ruled that the obligations stipulated in the Rome Statute were in accordance with the Constitution of Armenia. In 2022, the Armenian government had petitioned to the Constitutional Court on this matter. The government had returned to the matter of ratifying the Rome Statute because, according to the rationale of its draft, they see an opportunity to call Azerbaijan to account. The International Criminal Court has issued an international arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin, which implies that the countries that have ratified the Rome Statute must arrest Putin if he visits those countries. The Russian foreign ministry had sent a note of protest regarding the Armenian government sending the Rome Statute to the National Assembly for ratification.