News - Russia MFA spokesperson on Armenia-NATO relations: Need to know how safe it is

If someone wants to get close, it needs to be known how safe it is and what consequences it will lead to. We have already seen what the rapprochement with NATO has led to for many countries: involvement in conflicts, loss of sovereignty and independence, submission to the will of a foreigner in all senses of the word and in all spheres, and most importantly, the lack of opportunity to realize one's own national interests. This was stated by the official representative of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), Maria Zakharova, and responding to the request to comment on the words by Javier Colomina—the NATO Secretary General’s Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia—that Armenia's foreign policy is now aimed at rapprochement with NATO. "Probably, here we should start from the basic provisions. And what are the national interests of each country, particularly of Armenia? We should probably analyze that, we should probably open the map, we should look at which region, between which neighbors that country is located. You need to read the history books for those who speak out not just in favor of rapprochement with someone. Nonetheless, sovereign countries can resolve this matter on their own, but in favor of some kind of rapprochement that assumes breaking relations with the countries, neighbors in the region, or at least their disruption. It is necessary to study all this and understand what is Armenia's national interest, what is beneficial, what brings short-term benefit, what—medium-term, what—long-term, and proceed from that, not from promises," said the official of the Russian MFA. According to Zakharova, everyone is promised in the West. "But I am interested in where and what was done. Yes, when officials need to be bribed, as it happened in Ukraine, as we see it in Moldova, as it generally happened in other countries; they have money and so on for that. And when it is necessary to create real material platforms and a base for the development of the economy of the respective countries with which NATO and the US have an expectation of rapprochement, then for some reason the promised is not fulfilled. I don't know, I haven't seen any examples in the last 30-40 years," added the official representative of the Russian MFA.