YEREVAN. – Aravot daily spoke with opposition Armenian National Movement Board member and former MP Hovhannes Igityan. Below is an excerpt from the interview. 

“The West is already preparing to make substantive sanctions against the RF [Russian Federation]. Hovhannes Igityan, who is in France these days, says that the European organizations are speaking about the sanctions imposed against the RF economy

‘“RF certainly is a big country, it has great opportunities and, as a non-developed country, it also has small demands. [But] even if something lacks from the daily lives of the Russian people, it’s not a big thing; they will manage to live.

‘“But if another 20-percent decrease in the domestic situation was to be added to Armenia’s current social problems, this will be a huge blow. More than half of the people of Armenia lives even below the minimum poverty threshold. I find that the government of Armenia should think a little about the future perils, and stop Armenia’s CU [i.e., the Russia-led Customs Union] accession [process].  

‘“If sanctions are imposed against Russia, they will directly spread across all states in the CU borders. If Russia still has a resource to withstand, Armenia [, on the other hand,] will get deeper in crisis,’ our interlocutor said,” Aravot wrote.