YEREVAN. – Armenia’s voting “against” at the UN was a surprise also for Armenia’s Ambassador to Ukraine, Andranik Manukyan, Hraparak daily reported.
According to the daily, he had received a call from the Armenian capital city Yerevan on the eve of the voting, and was told that Armenia will vote neutral, and that he may convey this “annunciation” to the Ukrainian party, which had temporarily recalled Ivan Kukhta, Ukraine’s Ambassador to Armenia.
“Moreover, after the ‘conveying’ of the news, the Ukrainian MFA disseminated information on the voting day that the ambassador will return to Yerevan within a week, ‘irrespective of Armenia’s vote.’
“According to our information, however, the Ukrainian MFA is bewildered [now], and there is already a decision that Kukhta will not return [to Armenia].
“As for the change in Armenia’s position and the pressure exerted [on Armenia] by Russia, it, first and foremost, is related to the Karabakh issue. The Russian emissaries had put on [Armenia President] Serzh Sargsyan’s table the Azerbaijani troops’ movement, shot by ‘sputnik’ [satellite], toward the borders of Armenia and NK [Nagorno-Karabakh], hinting that in the case of any other conduct [by Armenia at the UN voting], there will be no assistance from them,” Hraparak wrote.
Armenia was among the eleven countries that on Thursday voted against the UN General Assembly resolution which declares invalid Crimea’s recent referendum calling for joining Russia. In addition, 58 countries abstained from voting on this resolution, whereas 100 countries voted in its favor. The UN General Assembly resolutions, however, are merely consultative.
