Kremlin says it does not understand Armenian PM's decision to speak Armenian at SCO summit
Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for the Russian president, said Moscow does not understand why Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan addressed the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Armenian rather than Russian, but stressed that Russia respects the choice.
The Kremlin has expressed surprise over Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's decision to deliver his speech at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Armenian, his native language, instead of Russian. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov commented on the matter, according to Interfax and reported by European Pravda.
Peskov said the move could be seen as a signal of Armenia's sovereignty, but voiced confusion about why that could not have been conveyed in Russian. 'Yes, it was a signal – to declare Armenia's sovereignty. But, frankly, we did not understand why it could not have been said in Russian... However, this is the head of state's choice, and we respect it,' he said.
Pashinyan's appearance at the SCO forum follows an announcement within his government's programme about preparing to submit an application for Armenia's membership in the European Union. European Pravda notes that Armenia is increasingly disregarding the Kremlin and plans EU accession.
