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SARKISIAN BACKS CRIMEAN REFERENDUM IN PHONE CALL WITH PUTIN
Wednesday, March 19th, 2014
Russian and Armenian Presidents Vladimir Putin and Serzh Sarkisian
in Moscow, Sept. 3, 2013.
YEREVAN--Revealing a more solid stance on the Ukranian crisis,
Armenia's President Serzh Sarkisian, in a phone call with Russian
President Vladimir Putin, apparently recognized Crimea's referendum
to secede from Ukraine and join Russia.
The President's press office announced that Sarkisian made the phone
call on Wednesday to discuss the Ukrainian situation and "ways out
of it." In that light, the press statement said, the two presidents
agreed that the Crimean referendum was "yet another realization of
peoples' right to self-determination."
"The interlocutors also reaffirmed their belief in the importance of
commitment to the norms and principles of international law and the
UN charter," the statement added.
The Russian side released a similar statement confirming the phone
call but made no mention of Sarkisian's endorsement of the Crimean
referendum to join Russia.
Armenia has been careful not to take clear sides in the Ukrainian
crisis given the West's strong condemnation of Russia's role and
continuing actions in what is the biggest stand-off between the West
and Russia since the Cold War.
But Sarkisian's latest phone call is likely to draw negative reactions
from Europe and the United States as it places Armenia squarely on
the Russian side of the equation.
The two presidents also discussed the Karabakh conflict's ongoing
settlement process, according to the Armenian President's press
office. Sarkisian expressed his side's readiness to work with the
OSCE Minsk Group, the Co-Chairmen of which recently signaled another
possible high level meeting between Sarkisian and Azeri President
Ilham Aliyev.
http://asbarez.com/120847/sarkisian-backs-crimean-referendum-in-phone-call-with-putin/
Wednesday, March 19th, 2014
Russian and Armenian Presidents Vladimir Putin and Serzh Sarkisian
in Moscow, Sept. 3, 2013.
YEREVAN--Revealing a more solid stance on the Ukranian crisis,
Armenia's President Serzh Sarkisian, in a phone call with Russian
President Vladimir Putin, apparently recognized Crimea's referendum
to secede from Ukraine and join Russia.
The President's press office announced that Sarkisian made the phone
call on Wednesday to discuss the Ukrainian situation and "ways out
of it." In that light, the press statement said, the two presidents
agreed that the Crimean referendum was "yet another realization of
peoples' right to self-determination."
"The interlocutors also reaffirmed their belief in the importance of
commitment to the norms and principles of international law and the
UN charter," the statement added.
The Russian side released a similar statement confirming the phone
call but made no mention of Sarkisian's endorsement of the Crimean
referendum to join Russia.
Armenia has been careful not to take clear sides in the Ukrainian
crisis given the West's strong condemnation of Russia's role and
continuing actions in what is the biggest stand-off between the West
and Russia since the Cold War.
But Sarkisian's latest phone call is likely to draw negative reactions
from Europe and the United States as it places Armenia squarely on
the Russian side of the equation.
The two presidents also discussed the Karabakh conflict's ongoing
settlement process, according to the Armenian President's press
office. Sarkisian expressed his side's readiness to work with the
OSCE Minsk Group, the Co-Chairmen of which recently signaled another
possible high level meeting between Sarkisian and Azeri President
Ilham Aliyev.
http://asbarez.com/120847/sarkisian-backs-crimean-referendum-in-phone-call-with-putin/