Alen Simonyan: Armenia should not worry about upsetting  Russia while  protecting  its interests 

ArmInfo.  Armenia should not worry about upsetting Russia while protecting its interests, as stated by Alen Simonyan, Speaker of the Armenian Parliament,  during  a briefing on May 6. He was responding to journalists' questions  regarding potential damage to Armenian- Russian relations following  recent statements made by European leaders in Yerevan.  He referred  to the mirror approach, noting that when Russia pursues its own  interests, it does not care whether Armenia's interests are  undermined.

As an example, the Speaker of the Parliament recalled the war with  Azerbaijan, noting that Russia sold weapons to Azerbaijan, while  remaining in an alliance with Armenia. "They said they are  independent state and have their own relations with other countries,"  Simonyan noted.

Addressing Armenia's economic dependence on the Russian Federation,  the Speaker suggested a choice:  either living "on one's knees under  a boot," silenced and without free media, or attempting to live  without war and political attacks by taking charge of one's own  country. "This applies to any country, be it Russia, France, or any  other state. Replacing one 'big brother' with another is not the  answer, nor is surrendering our freedoms. It is a matter of choice,"  he said. He further noted that in the past, Armenia had been "on its  knees," citing previous election outcomes, activities of foreign  embassies and other factors.