Armenia has initiated the process of ratifying the Rome Statute, the foundational document of the International Criminal Court (ICC), to investigate border incidents with Azerbaijan, as stated by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in an interview with Public Television.
He specified that this pertains to events occurring on the border in May 2021 and September 2022, with the ratification process commencing in December of the preceding year. Pashinyan emphasized the potential enhancement of Armenia's security through CSTO participation when "the Collective Security Treaty Organization has not fulfilled and is not fulfilling its obligations." He highlighted the government's commitment to obtaining additional international security mechanisms in response to ongoing developments, clarifying that this move is unrelated to Armenia's relations with Russia.
Addressing the delay in ratification, Pashinyan explained that Armenia's previous constitution presented a contradiction with the Rome Statute. However, with the adoption of a new constitution in 2015, this contradiction no longer exists, allowing Armenia to proceed with the ratification process.
Pashinyan responded to other Russian concerns, pointing out that joint exercises between the Armenian and American military have occurred in the past and urged against politicizing his wife's visit to Ukraine. He emphasized that his wife has been involved in humanitarian activities through international cooperation with other first ladies.
Armenia initially signed the Rome Statute in 1999 but had not ratified it until now. In late 2022, the Armenian government sought the Constitutional Court's recognition of the ICJ's jurisdiction to assess Azerbaijan's actions in Nagorno-Karabakh. Subsequently, the Armenian government submitted a draft for the ratification of the Rome Statute to parliament on September 1, prompting the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to request clarification from Armenia.
After ratification, Armenia, like other countries that have ratified the Rome Statute, would be obligated to arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin if he sets foot on their territory. This development coincides with the commencement of military exercises with the United States in Armenia on September 11, while Armenia has declined participation in two CSTO exercises earlier in the year.
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