Kopirkin on Armenian-Russian Relations

The Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Russia to Armenia, Sergey Kopirkin, addressed the question of whether Russia plans to be more active in "soft power" or public diplomacy, including in Armenia.

According to Kopirkin, for Russia, Armenia and the Armenian people are "brothers with whom they are very much connected." He stated, "Our traditional approach is what we do; this generally characterizes our relations. Indeed, what Russia does in Armenia, for Armenia, and with Armenia is of a very strategic nature for the Armenian state. We traditionally do not consider such activities to be a component of PR," he said during a meeting with students at Brusov State University of Languages in Yerevan.

He noted that Armenians make up a significant and quite influential part of Russian society. "Naturally, it is very difficult for us to sever these ties, to separate from each other; therefore, we are not used to engaging in such PR and playing games around it, as it does not correspond to our mindset," he emphasized.