Armenia is not interested in severing political, economic or other ties with Russia, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan has said.

Speaking to journalists while on leave, Mirzoyan said Yerevan intends to preserve what he described as “natural relations” with Moscow, News.Az reports,  citing News Armenia.

“Armenia wants and will work to maintain natural relations with Russia,” he said.

His comments came after Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Security Council Dmitry Medvedev claimed that the actions of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan pose a threat to Armenia’s relations with Russia, the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO).

Asked about Medvedev’s remarks, Mirzoyan declined to speculate on the reasons behind the statement.

“The information of this official is incorrect,” he said.

Commenting on restrictions imposed by Russia on Armenian goods, Mirzoyan argued that the issue was being deliberately exaggerated by certain political groups and media outlets.

“There is a problem, and it has existed for decades, and to some extent it will exist tomorrow as well. Problems can always arise when transporting goods on such a large scale,” he said.

According to Mirzoyan, Russian agencies sometimes claim that certain products fail to meet required standards, but subsequent inspections either confirm or refute those allegations.

He did not rule out the possibility that the issue may also have political “layers”, but stressed that large volumes of Armenian goods continue to enter the Russian market.

News.Az