Russian Embassy in Armenia responds to US Ambassador to Armenia  Richard Mills

ArmInfo. Russian Embassy to Armenia has responded to the statement made by US Ambassador to Armenia Richard Mills in the Yerevan State University within "NATO Days". 

"On November 18 Armenian mass media published certain statements made  by US Ambassador in Armenia Richard Mills in Yerevan State University  within NATO Days. According to the local information agencies in his  speech he stated that 'in 2014 when the Alliance celebrated its 65th  anniversary and it seemed that it was the time for the structure "to  retire" Russia annexed Crimea and NATO has faced new challenges and  threats'. The Embassy fully supports the US Ambassador's statement  about the necessity to pension off the North Atlantic Treaty.  This  should have been done much earlier when Warsaw Pact was liquidated,  which according to our Western counterparts posed threat for them and  was the main reason for NATO's existence. 

As for "annexation of Crimea by Russia" we should recall that  Crimea's entrance into the Russian Federation took place based on  direct expression of will of its population during the referendum  held on March 16, 2014 in Crimea. We are surprised with the reaction  of the Western states and first of all the USA and EU on the legal  exercise of right on self-determination set forth in the UN Charter.  We also attracted our attention on the words in Mr. Mills' speech  that 'each country should itself make decisions on the development  and security issues'. Russia has followed exactly this principle in  its foreign policy. It is very pleasant bur strange at the same time  to hear such a statement from the representative of the country that  is ready to interfere in domestic affairs of any other countries,  also by using military force. 

Yugoslavia, Iraq, Libya and Syria, as well as various 'color  revolutions" and their destroying consequences can be brought as  example, as the originators of them were funds, NGOs and mass media  directly supported and funded by the USA", the statement by the  Russian Embassy to Armenia received by ArmInfo reads. 

To recall, US Ambassador to Armenia Richard Mills stated in the  Yerevan State University within 'NATO Days'' on November 18 that  Armenia is the only state, which participates in NATO Partnership for  Peace program and cooperates with CSTO at the same time. At the same  time he recalled that in 2014 when the Alliance celebrated its 65th  anniversary and it seemed that it was the time for the structure "to  retire" Russia annexed Crimea. NATO has faced new challenges and  threats. US President Barack Obama was stressing the inadmissibility  of forced annexation of territories in nowadays world. Each country  should make decisions itself on the issues of development and  ensuring security, Mills summarized.