Armenia parliament speaker: Our going to Russia’s Saint Petersburg is not backward step

Speaker of the National Assembly (NA) of Armenia, Alen Simonyan, does not consider Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's going to Saint Petersburg, Russia as a step backwards.

"You know that we [Armenia] are in the same economic union with Russia, our economy is experiencing great growth, and we cannot miss the opportunity to assume the chairmanship of the organization where we are; Armenia needs that," Simonyan told reporters in the NA park Tuesday.

"Armenia has never made an official statement that it is making a U-turn. You know that I also did not go to the CSTO meeting on December 19; we have serious reservations—that still exist today—in connection with the CSTO activities. I have said what they are due to and how long they will continue. A step back, a step forward. In connection with that please neither hurry, say ‘they [i.e. Armenia] have left,’ nor hurry, say ‘they came back.’ Armenia will continue to pursue its interests. If they will be in the meeting that will take place in Saint Petersburg, we will go there. If not, we will not go, as has happened several times this year," added the speaker of the Armenian parliament.