Lavrov accuses EU of direct interference in Armenia, Moldova elections

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has accused the European Union of directly interfering in the electoral processes in Armenia and Moldova, according to iz.ru.

He said European missions are seeking to influence the situation in the two countries while combating what are described as hybrid threats.

Lavrov stressed that analysts in countries “flirting with the European Union” should understand the bloc’s real objectives.

Asked how closely the current developments in Armenia resemble the events in Ukraine in 2013, the minister recalled that Euromaidan was triggered by Kyiv’s request to postpone the signing of an association agreement with the EU because of the risks it posed to the CIS free trade area.

“We simply told them that if they opened their border to Europe, we would have to close ours, because when we joined the WTO [World Trade Organization], we spent 18 years trying to secure tariff protection from Europe,” Lavrov explained in an interview with RBC.

According to the minister, Russia is doing everything necessary to maintain its ties with Armenia. He stressed that Yerevan derives significant benefits from its membership in the Eurasian Economic Union, including in the energy sector, where prices are three to four times lower than in the European Union.