Russian MFA: Armenia's participation in Rome Statute undermines Yerevan's relations with Moscow

Yerevan's participation in the Rome Statute, against the background of "quasi-orders" issued in The Hague for the arrest of several Russian officials, directly damages Russian-Armenian relations, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said at a weekly briefing, responding to a question from NEWS.ru.

"If Armenia's cooperation with the International Criminal Court (ICC) could really contribute to strengthening some international legal norm or legal norms, perhaps this could somehow be welcomed. But the practice of two decades of work of this pseudo-court suggests otherwise," she said.

She emphasized that Yerevan is well aware of Moscow's position on this issue.

According to Zakharova, the ICC hasn't helped resolve any conflict it has tried to address: "Meanwhile, there are plenty of direct violations of international law, basic standards of justice, and simple common sense in its track record. Statements of support and readiness to cooperate only encourage this so-called court to pursue new adventures."

The Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson emphasized that Russia's position regarding the ICC has long been determined: it is unable to function effectively, is incorrectly organized, doesn't fulfill its stated functions, and lacks the authority to solve the tasks it claims to address.

"Our prediction from many years ago has proven correct. Over all these years, there hasn't been a single positive involvement of this structure [ICC] in solving, resolving, or overcoming any crises. On the contrary, it has been associated with endless scandals, both within this structure and around its perimeter," she added.

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