Kremlin says events in Armenia are a domestic affair, says Russia won’t meddle

The opposition rallies in Armenia are a domestic affair and any hypothetic deliberations on possible Russian meddling in this situation are irrelevant, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday.

“This is absolutely Armenia’s domestic affair, this is all I can say,” Peskov said when asked if Russia saw a threat of destabilization in the region amid the protests in Armenia.

“Why should Moscow interfere?” he said, noting that any allegations are absolutely irrelevant.

Peskov declined to say whether Yerevan requested consultations with the Kremlin in connection with the events in Armenia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier congratulated Armenian President Armen Sarkissian and Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan on their election, Peskov noted.

“We are carefully watching what is going on in Armenia. Armenia is our closest ally and we have been developing very close relations with it. Armenia is a member-state of the Eurasian Economic Union and therefore this country is important for us and we are carefully monitoring the events there,” he said.

Touching on a possible introduction of a special regime at the Russian military base in Gyumri, the Kremlin spokesman said this was a matter of the Russian Defense Ministry.