YEREVAN. – Armenia’s accession to the [Russian-led] Customs Union (CU) will hardly have an impact on the Karabakh peace process.

Giro Manoyan, Head of the Political Affairs Bureau and the Armenian Cause Office of the Armenian opposition ARF Dashnaktsutyun Party, stated the above-said at a press conference on Monday.

In Manoyan’s words, there are no guarantees that Russia will adopt a more pro-Armenian stance on the Karabakh issue. 

“Russia wants to keep Azerbaijan at its side. Of course, Russia is our [i.e., Armenia] strategic partner, but it has set a goal to increase its influence on all South Caucasus countries. Hence, it can sell weapons to and sign other deals with Azerbaijan.   

“Understanding this, Russia [, however,] must always be reminded that strategic partnership should always be a priority,” Giro Manoyan noted.