Your trusted source

Businessman Gagik Tsarukyan, the leader of the opposition Prosperous Armenia Party, expressed deep concern over the growing anti-Russian sentiments in Armenia.

"As a citizen and as a political party leader, I am deeply concerned about the efforts to fuel anti-Russian sentiments in Armenia. No matter how artificial and directed they may be, they still pose enormous risks for our state, national security and the people,” he said in a statement on Tuesday.

“I am confident that the vast majority of people, the political and social elites and the conscious strata of our society are well aware that only the Armenian-Russian alliance and multilayered relations, which are anchored on deep trust, can ensure stability in this volatile region and the possibility of peaceful development for the Armenian people.

“Armenia can and should have good-neighborly relations with other countries and develop interstate relations with others, but it cannot run against and be at the expense of the Armenian-Russian relations.

“Armenia, our peace-loving and hard-working nation is not a playground for geopolitical shifts and adventures. As it happens, a large number of Armenians live in Russia and millions of Armenians live in the West. We cannot afford additional barricades and divisions.

“I am confident that our people are properly assessing the risks. The Armenian-Russian relations should not be jeopardized, but should be effectively deepened in military-political, defense, economic and other spheres,” reads the statement.