The South Caucasus may be starting to shift toward stability and order: Russia’s State Duma responds to Armenia’s desire to join SCO
Viktor Vodolatsky, First Deputy Chairman of Russia’s State Duma Committee on CIS Affairs, Eurasian Integration and Relations with Compatriots, welcomed Armenia’s decision to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and expressed hope that there would no longer be anti-Russian actions within Armenia.
“If Armenia has decided that it is more convenient for it to continue its course with Russia—which is also a priority for us—and there will no longer be actions aimed at destabilizing and promoting anti-Russian activities within Armenia, then that’s good. It means that the South Caucasus is beginning to turn toward stability and order,” Vodolatsky noted.
He added that recently, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his team have been trying to distance themselves from Russia, choosing a European path and values. At the same time, Russia is one of the parties playing a leading role within the SCO. “This is a certain division within the system, and there is no understanding that these are different directions, different value paths. It’s possible that in recent days, there have been changes in the thoughts and actions of Armenia’s leadership, and they have decided to submit an application and declare their desire to join the SCO,” Vodolatsky explained.
State Duma member Alexey Chepa told NEWS.ru that it would be extremely difficult for Armenia to be a member of both the European Union and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation at the same time. According to him, Yerevan needs to decide what interests it more. “The SCO has never positioned itself as an organization against anyone. Primarily, this organization focuses on security and increasing the resilience of member states. Therefore, I believe that Armenia’s accession to the SCO would contribute to certain areas of peaceful development,” the MP stated.
On July 3, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia announced that the country has expressed its desire to become a member of the SCO.
