Deputy Speaker of Armenian Parliament Arshakyan: joining the ICC does not harm relations with Russia

This was stated in an interview with the "Armenpress" agency by The Vice-Speaker of the Parliament of the Republic Hakob Arshakyan.

"We have heard the concerns expressed by the Russian Federation, and I think that we will be able to ensure that ensuring the further process related to the Rome Statute does not damage the strategic relations between Armenia and Russia," Arshakyan said.

He admitted that Yerevan could conclude an agreement with Moscow, according to which the Rome Statute will not affect the relations between the two countries.

On March 24, the Constitutional Court of Armenia recognized the obligations enshrined in the Rome Statute of the ICC as consistent with the country's Constitution.

Soon after, the Russian Foreign Ministry noted that Russia considers unacceptable Armenia's plans to join the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) against the background of recent illegal warrants of this court for "arrests" against the Russian leadership.

The official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, said that the Russian side hopes that the issue of Armenia's accession to the ICC will be settled in an allied manner.