Zatulin labels Armenia- US  civil nuclear agreement as an attack  against Russian interests

ArmInfo.  The agreement between Armenia and the US on civil nuclear energy, which provides for $9 billion in American investment, is an attack on  Russian interests and influence in the region. Konstantin Zatulin,  the First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on CIS Affairs,  told RTVI.

"I am a history teacher by profession, having graduated from the  history department. However,  I am well aware of the law of  conservation of energy. In order for the United States to gain  ground, it is necessary to take something away from someone.  Specifically, in Armenia, in the Caucasus, it is necessary to take  away Russia's interests, its influence, and so on," Zatulin told  RTVI. Zatulin recalled that the Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant, which  currently provides electricity to Armenia  along with Russian gas,  was revived and maintained thanks to Russia. Its operation was halted  in the early 1990s due to perceived safety risks, as the plant is  in  a seismically active zone.

"I remember 1994 in Yerevan,  all the hillsides around Yerevan  stripped bare for firewood and  balconies equipped with potbelly  stoves, because there was no electricity. At night, Yerevan was pitch  black," Zatulin recounted.

After the collapse of the USSR, Armenia, having "come to its senses,"  asked Russia for a loan and repairs to the plant for its restart,  which was done, the MP noted. "Now Mr. Pashinyan, for whom this means  absolutely nothing, is negotiating with the Americans, he is  abandoning  Rosatom, which has been working in Armenia until now, in  favor of  the Americans. Isn't this an attack on our interests, our  influence, our prospects? Of course it is," Zatulin asserted.

Zatulin added that Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, whom Vance  intends to visit after his visit to Armenia, is following the same  path. Zatulin described the purpose of the US Vice President's visits  as an intention to "stake out territories, as is customary in  Alaska." However, the deputy noted that this is not surprising.

The first deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on CIS Affairs  also condemned Armenia's reluctance to include Russia in the TRIPP  (Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity) project, which  envisages the construction of railway and other infrastructure  between Armenia and Azerbaijan.  "This corridor does not envisage our  participation whatsoever. The most Mr. Pashinyan is willing to do to  camouflage the situation is to call us in as a repair crew to prepare  this corridor, which will not involve us," Zatulin noted.

"The goal [of Pashinyan's proposal] is obvious: if we don't carry out  repairs, it's proof that we don't want to cooperate. And if we do  repairs, the whole world will know we were for it, we're not against  any 'Trump corridors,' and we're actually involved in it all,"  Zatulin said. The MP recalled that parliamentary elections will be  held in Armenia in June, in which Pashinyan will run. According to  Zatulin, Yerevan's economic and political agreements with the West  are aimed at keeping the current Armenian Prime Minister in power.  "Because he is needed to further dismantle our influence in the  region. Just like Aliyev, whom he [Vance] will be heading to next  today," Zatulin stated.

Zatulin drew a  parallel between the conflict in Ukraine and the  situation in the Caucasus. He warned that while Russia fights to  prevent NATO expansion in Ukraine, it is being forced to witness a  "creeping" NATO presence in Azerbaijan through its military alliance  with Turkey.

"Turkey, in fact, has already established bases in Azerbaijan. Their  armies are essentially one entity. This has already been stated many  times. And has Turkey ceased to be a NATO member? In Western forums,  without us even hearing, it says that it's not Turkey that is  advancing, for example, toward the Caspian and Central Asia through  Azerbaijan, but NATO that is advancing alongside Turkey. That is, in  Ukraine, we are fighting to prevent Ukraine from joining NATO, but  here we are not paying attention, or, more accurately, we are forced  not to pay attention, because, of course, we are paying attention,  but so far, so to speak, we have not begun to oppose it as much as we  could," the parliamentarian noted.

 Zatulin recalled that before becoming an MP and Prime Minister of  Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan was an "original journalist" and "spoke  everything he could about what he wanted: to sever ties with Russia,  forget the past, the genocide, remove the Russian base in Gyumri, and  withdraw from the CSTO."

"Hitler once wrote it all down in 'Mein Kampf.' But no one paid  attention:It all ended in a world war. Mr.  Pashinyan is a man  determined to tear the Armenian people away from the Russian people,  and Armenia away from Russia," Zatulin stated. "He [Pashinyan] is  still trying to prolong the charm of trade turnover, because  Armenia's economy is growing thanks to its ties with Russia-not its  ties with the European Union. 37% of Armenia's imports go to Russia.  This is the number one source of Armenia's foreign trade, and this  percentage isn't falling, but growing. But just as Germany received  grain from us after 1939 until the very last moment, until the start  of the Great Patriotic War, Pashinyan is using this very same thing,  but without hiding any of his intentions," he added.

Zatulin also recalled that in December, EU High Representative for  Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas announced the allocation of 15 million  euros to Armenia, including to counter "foreign interference" before  the elections. Kallas specifically accused Russia and its  "satellites" of conducting similar campaigns. "The Armenian  government thanked the European Union and Kaja Kallas for allocating  15 million euros to combat Russia's hybrid war. After that, the  Speaker of the Armenian parliament comes to us and tells us that this  is not true, that they don't even have such thoughts. What is said is  written with a pen, you can't chop it out with an axe. It's all been  said, it's all been done, and it will continue to be done. Because  Mr.  Pashinyan drew this conclusion from [20]22. Since we've gotten  ourselves into a confrontation with the West, well, this is precisely  the case when he can finally implement his plans, and we won't be  able to stop him-that's all," Zatulin concluded.