Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan has called on Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov not to interfere in Armenia's internal affairs. Mirzoyan stated this at a joint press conference with Kaja Kallas, the visiting Vice-President of the European Union (EU) Commission and High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, in Yerevan on Monday—and commenting on Lavrov's statements about the present-day situation in Armenia.

"Before the press conference, I managed to get familiarized with the comments of my dear colleague Lavrov. Mr. Lavrov's information is incomplete and incorrect. If I am not mistaken, he used the expression ‘the [Armenian] authorities' fights against the [Armenian Apostolic] church.’ Lavrov's information does not correspond to reality; no fight is waged in Armenia against the [Armenian Apostolic] church. What he means implies the participation of several clergymen in political activities," the Armenian FM said.

Mirzoyan added that according to Armenian law enforcement agencies, this is about participation in the preparation or launch of an illegal coup in Armenia.

“This is a legal process and an internal matter of the Republic of Armenia. It would be better if Lavrov did not interfere in the internal affairs of the Republic of Armenia,” Mirzoyan advised, and addressed such a call to Russian MPs and the media, too. In Mirzoyan’s opinion, they should treat Armenia’s sovereignty with great respect and never interfere in the country’s affairs again.