April 9, 2005 - 08:58 AMT
RUSSIA PERCEIVES ARMENIA AS INDEPENDENT STATE, HAVING AND MAINTAINING ITS INTERESTS, ANATOLY DRYUKOV STATED
Russia perceives Armenia as an independent, sovereign state, having and maintaining its interests, Russian Ambassador to Armenia Anatoly Dryukov stated in the course of the final press conference due to the completion of his diplomatic mission in Armenia. In his words, there are still certain circles, who use the situation in their own interest and state that Armenia is "a vassal" of Russia. It is impossible to impose something on any state today - except for the military way, which, as experience shows, does not result in the desirable outcomes, the Russian diplomat emphasized. Any state has an inalienable right to decide its own fate. "The question whether Armenia will be interested in a Western-leaning development is its own right and it is normal. It is erroneous continuing parting Russia from the rest of the world. We are a European family and dividing us into separate flats is not correct,» the Russian Ambassador to Armenia noted. Armenia develops relations with the EU, the US, the NATO, just like Russia develops cooperation with those structures. There is nothing unnatural in it, the Ambassador summed up.