Diplomat: The situation with Russian citizen Samvel Karapetyan  continues to in the spotlight in Russia

ArmInfo.  The situation with Russian citizen Samvel Karapetyan, who is currently  facing criminal charges in Armenia, continues to be in the spotlight  in Russia.  Mikhail Kalugin, Director of the Fourth Department of the  CIS Countries at the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told RIA  Novosti.

"As we have already noted, the situation with our citizen Samvel  Karapetyan continues to be in the spotlight in Russia. Protecting the  interests of Russian citizens and Russian businesses has always been  and will always be our top priority. We really wouldn't want to see  Karapetyan's business ventures, which he has been building for years,  both in Armenia and Russia, to suffer," the diplomat said.

According to him, the Russian Embassy in Yerevan has secured consular  access to him. "Our diplomats' last visit took place in early  December. We are receiving all the necessary information about  Karapetyan's health, including through his lawyers and relatives. He  reports good health and displays optimism and a strong will to fight.

We are discussing this matter with the country's official  representatives. We emphasize that Karapetyan has been in custody for  six months without a court order. We are conveying signals that, in  this situation, other our entrepreneurs have become cautious about  assessing the prospects of their projects in Armenia and are  questioning the sustainability of its investment climate. This  uncertainty may hinder the growth of trade between the two  countries," Kalugin concluded.