Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has said Yerevan does not rule out taking its dispute with Russia over the management of the South Caucasus Railway to an international court if the issue cannot be resolved through negotiations. At the same time, he stressed that the Armenian authorities hope to settle the matter through talks.
On National Unity Day, Russian President Vladimir Putin awarded the Order of Alexander Nevsky to Archbishop Yezras, head of the Russian and New Nakhichevan Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church. Representatives of other major religious denominations in Russia also received awards.
Earlier, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated that Archbishop Yezras "is a KGB agent," accusing him of leading a "spy network." Furthermore, Archbishop Yezras was added to the Myrotvorets (Peacemaker) database. He is accused of "attempting to undermine the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine" and publicly supporting Russia.
Yezras participated in a rally in Yerevan in support of Russian billionaire Samvel Karapetyan. He was arrested in Armenia on charges of publicly calling for a coup.
Karapetyan is known as a Russian stooge. From prison, he accused the Armenian authorities of severing ties with Russia, emphasizing that Moscow, as Yerevan's main ally, values reliability, predictability, and honesty.