Mkhitar Hayrapetyan on TV broadcasting agreement with RF: If our  proposals are not taken into account, we do not rule out possibility  of terminating agreement unilaterally

ArmInfo. Based on the results of the recent Moscow consultations regarding the violations committed  by the Russian side of the intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in the field of mass communications, consensus could not be reached. Minister of High-Technological Industry of the Republic of Armenia  Mkhitar Hayrapetyan stated on April 10 during the government hour in the National Assembly of Armenia.

However, this, according to him, does not mean that the negotiations  have reached a dead end. Next week, the Armenian side intends to send  a package of proposals to their Russian partners regarding a new  edition of the intergovernmental agreement.

"We are constructive. Our goal is not to aggravate the situation, but  to get a document that will work as a result of a healthy debate. A  document, in case of violation of the provisions of which sanctions  will follow. Today's regulations do not provide such an opportunity,"  the minister emphasized, noting that the Russian side is aware of  Armenia's position.

If the proposals of the Armenian side are not accepted, he did not  rule out that the state would consider the possibility of terminating  the intergovernmental agreement with the Russian Federation  unilaterally.

On March 29, Television and Radio  Broadcasting Network of Armenia"  CJSC  issued a statement saying that  "on the basis of Articles 5 and   6 of the agreement "On cooperation in the field of mass   telecommunications between the Government of the Republic of Armenia   and the Government of the Russian Federation" recently recorded the   fact of constant violations on the Russian side. As a result, the   Network blocked the broadcast of "Evening with Vladimir Solovyov" and   "Sunday evening with Vladimir Solovyov" TV shows on the territory of   Armenia, which were broadcast on the RA Public Multiplex by the   RTR-PLANETA television company," the broadcaster said in a statement.

Last year, the RA Television and Radio Commission recorded violations  of Article 5 of the Agreement on Cooperation between Armenia and  Russia in the field of mass telecommunications. The Russian side  recognized this fact, as a result of which a joint statement was  signed. As a result of consultations held in December last year, an  agreement was reached between the parties to take steps to properly  comply with all points of the Agreement.  However, already in  February 2024, the Armenian side recorded a new violation, and  therefore the Armenian Foreign Ministry sent a note of protest to the  Russian side. "Only the fact that two months later such violations  are repeated suggests that the interstate agreement in force between  Armenia and the Russian Federation, apparently, needs to be finalized  or edited," noted the Minister of High-Technological Industry of  Armenia in this regard. Notably, theses processes started in October  2023, when the "Nikol Pashinyan: a harbinger of trouble" was  broadcast on the First Channel of the Russian Federation, during  which offensive and completely unacceptable statements were made  against high-ranking officials of Armenia.