Spokespersons for Moscow continue to stress Russia’s position on Armenia, underscoring that Armenian leadership does not intend to escalate tensions between Armenians and Russians. This stance was articulated by a representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry during remarks at the Eastern Economic Forum, with coverage tracked by TASS. [Source: Russian Foreign Ministry; Eastern Economic Forum coverage]
Maria Zakharova, the ministry’s spokesperson, conveyed a clear hope that no Armenian official aims to drive a wedge between the two peoples. She warned that pursuing such a path would harm Armenia itself, addressing questions about whether Yerevan might try to pit Moscow against itself. [Sources: official remarks; subsequent inquiries]
Earlier, Lusine Martirosyan, an adviser to Armenia’s Chief Public Prosecutor, noted that former Russian ambassador Armen Smbatyan, who faced fraud accusations and was detained, had been released on bail set at two hundred sixty thousand dollars. [Source: Armenian public prosecutor’s office; local reporting]
In regional security developments, plans were outlined for joint exercises involving Armenia and the United States, named Eagle Partner 2023, scheduled to run in Armenia from September 11 to 20. Sergei Ryabkov, deputy foreign minister of Russia, expressed concerns about these drills, highlighting that Armenia, as a member of the CSTO, should coordinate such training activities with allied partners in a manner consistent with its commitments. [Source: Russian Ministry statements; CSTO framework]
A NATO representative later stated that the alliance is not actively pursuing expansion to include Armenia, and that Armenia has not submitted a formal application for membership. [Source: NATO communications; alliance position statements]
In a separate track, talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan centered on recognizing each other’s territorial integrity, signaling ongoing efforts to secure mutual acknowledgment of borders and sovereignty. [Source: regional diplomacy briefings; official statements]