MOSCOW, September 28. /TASS/: Moscow is disappointed about Yerevan’s intention to sign the Rome Statute, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
"Armenia knows very well that we are not a party to [the Rome Statute], and Armenia is fully aware of the hardly digestible decision [of the International Criminal Court to issue an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin] made based on this statute. We know that Yerevan is well aware of this. This is not something we approve of," the Kremlin official said, commenting on Armenia’s actions on the matter.
According to Peskov, this decision by Armenian authorities is "extremely hostile" with regard to Russia.
As for the Armenian side proposing Russia conclude a bilateral agreement to alleviate Moscow’s concerns in the event Armenia ratifies the Rome Statute, Putin’s press secretary noted that he was unfamiliar with the details of this proposal. "No, I cannot [discuss the details]. There was a certain reasoning by the Armenian side in favor of the need to adopt this statute. Yet in this case I am unaware of any details of this proposal to conclude bilateral agreements," he said. Peskov stressed that "if Armenia takes on international obligations, it has to be seen what it considers to be predominant."
However, the Kremlin official noted that Armenia is a sovereign state. "Of course, we hope that such decisions won’t adversely impact our bilateral relations because this is precisely about the statute that we do not recognize, we are not a party to it," he said.
Peskov also added that Putin is not planning any trips to Armenia in the near future. "No," he said, replying to a question on the matter.
