Russia's Foreign Ministry Demands Armenia Provide Evidence

Maria Zakharova, the official representative of Russia's Foreign Ministry, has demanded that Armenia's Security Council Secretary Armen Grigoryan provide evidence regarding his statements that the Russian Federation is forcing Armenia to grant a corridor to Azerbaijan and to join a union state.

“How did this coercion occur—was it in a friendly atmosphere, over a glass of red wine, or was it done harshly? This needs to be understood. At least some evidence should be available. If people make such statements without providing evidence and specifically mention a country, kindly prove it with facts,” Zakharova said during a briefing.

According to her, the same applies to reports alleging that Moscow is imposing the establishment of a corridor outside of its control on Yerevan. “This is a fabrication, which has also been stated multiple times. According to the January 11, 2021, statement by the leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and the Russian Federation, various ways of opening communications, including issues related to the restoration of railway movement through southern Armenia, are being discussed within the framework of the trilateral working group on the unblocking of all economic and transport connections in the region. One of the principles of this work, which is not contested by either Yerevan or Baku, is that the sovereignty over the routes belongs to the side whose territory they pass through,” she added.