Russia said on Wednesday it had warned Armenia it would suspend or terminate the supply of cheap oil, gas and rough diamonds to the South Caucasus country if Yerevan pressed ahead with its bid to join the European Union.
Moscow issued the warning ahead of a parliamentary election on June 7 with opinion polls giving the Civil Contract party of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan – who has forged a warmer relationship with the West to Moscow’s irritation – a comfortable lead over pro-Russian rivals.
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“The Russian Embassy has officially forwarded a letter...stating that if the process of accession to the EU continues, the Russian side will suspend or unilaterally terminate the Agreement on Cooperation in the Supply of Natural Gas, Petroleum Products and Rough Diamonds,” Maria Zakharova, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, told the RIA news agency.
Armenia, a landlocked nation of around 3 million, has traditionally had close ties to Russia and is a member of a Russian-led economic union. It hosts Russian military bases and is heavily dependent on Moscow for energy, with 82 percent of its gas last year coming from Russia, according to the Interfax news agency.
