Russia and the European Union (EU) have reacted differently after Armenia officially ratified its acceptance of the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court (ICC).
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| Armenian lawmakers vote to ratify the country's submission to the ICC's jurisdiction. (Source: Euronews) |
On October 3, the Kremlin assessed that Armenia had acted in a way that was “unlike Russia’s partner” by placing itself under the jurisdiction of the ICC.
Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for the Russian President, stressed that Moscow once considered Yerevan an ally, but now it “will have questions for the current leadership of Armenia”.
Russia-Armenia relations have been strained by Moscow’s inaction when Azerbaijan seized Nagorno-Karabakh, a region controlled by ethnic Armenians for three decades, in a lightning military operation in late September. Most of the region’s ethnic Armenians have since fled elsewhere.
For her part, European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen praised Armenia's move.
Earlier the same day, the Armenian Parliament approved the statute establishing the ICC, thereby placing itself under the jurisdiction of the court based in The Hague (Netherlands).
This means that Armenia is obliged to arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin if he sets foot here. The ICC has issued an arrest warrant for the Russian leader, but the Kremlin has rejected it as meaningless.
In related news, during her visit to Yerevan on the same day, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said: "France has agreed to sign a future contract with Armenia, allowing the transfer of military equipment to Armenia so that the country can ensure its defense capabilities."
The diplomat also noted that neither country seeks escalation in the region.
France has a large Armenian community and has a tradition of helping to mediate the decades-long territorial dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
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