ArmInfo. Yerevan and Moscow are working on a memorandum guaranteeing the access of Russian specialists to the biological laboratories operating in Armenia. This was stated by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in an interview with Kommersant special correspondent Vladimir Solovyov.
According to him, these laboratories are used purely for medical purposes. The Armenian prime minister noted that last year, on his personal behalf, Russian specialists were allowed to visit these facilities to make sure that they did not contain any threat to Russia. "They don't have any military goal at all - these are biological laboratories that are used purely for medical purposes. I think our Russian colleagues have seen this," the head of the Armenian government said, adding that the laboratories are the property of Armenia, and this is very important. "By the way, these laboratories are valuable and important for Armenia. We are also grateful to our American colleagues for supporting Armenia, funding these modern laboratories, whose work is aimed at ensuring the biological safety of Armenia. In fact, this is a gift, and a very valuable gift." - said Nikol Pashinyan.
He also added that work on the text of the memorandum is still ongoing. "The main goal of the document is to comply with the interests of all parties so that no one, no one of our partners has concerns about these laboratories," Nikol Pashinyan concluded.
Earlier it was reported that Russian specialists, including military personnel, will be guaranteed access to the biological laboratory operating in Armenia, created with Pentagon money. As Kommersant learned, the corresponding memorandum is planned to be signed during a visit to Yerevan by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Russia has repeatedly criticized the United States for its "military biomedical activity" at the Russian borders and promised to ensure that the activities of laboratories operating in neighboring countries become open to it. Sergey Lavrov has repeatedly raised the "laboratory issue" at meetings with fellow ministers from CSTO member countries. Kommersant wrote last summer about the fact that Moscow and Yerevan began work on the corresponding document. Now it is finished. In the Russian Federation, they hope that the issue will be similarly resolved with Kazakhstan (the Central Reference Laboratory, for which the US allocated $ 130 million), operates in Almaty. The Kazakh side organized a study tour to the biolaboratory in the summer. But Moscow would like access guarantees. "It's important for us to create a mechanism that allows us to periodically inspect these laboratories and exchange information with partners in order to provide a clear picture for ourselves. At the same time, exclude control of these facilities from the United States and other third countries," Kommersant's source in the Russian Foreign Ministry explained. Recall that in 2016, with the funding of the US Department of Defense, three laboratories were opened in Armenia - in Yerevan, Gyumri and Ijevan. After their discovery in the Armenian and Russian media, publications periodically receive widespread publicity that these laboratories are dual-use facilities and can be used for military purposes to create and manufacture biological weapons. The US Department of Defense allocated $ 15.5 million for the creation of a reference laboratory in Yerevan, and the total funding amounted to $ 18 million. In Yerevan, $ 4.1 million was invested to fully build the reference laboratory of the food safety department for especially dangerous pathogens of the Ministry of Agriculture The US Government invested $ 9.8 million to repair the reference laboratory of the National Center for Disease Control and Prevention of the Ministry of Health of Armenia, ensuring the seismic stability of the building and creating the necessary laboratory infrastructure structure. An additional $ 1.7 million for both laboratories was allocated for the purchase of new equipment and furniture.