Russia hopes Armenia's accession to ICC will not affect bilateral relations — Kremlin

YEREVAN, February 1. /ARKA/. Armenia's accession to the International Criminal Court (ICC) is its sovereign affair; it is important for Russia that it does not negatively affect relations between Moscow and Yerevan, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters today, Tass reported.

Armenia on Thursday formally joined the International Criminal Court (ICC). 

"There is nothing to comment on. In general, this is Armenia's sovereign right," the Kremlin spokesman added.

"But on the other hand, it is important for us that such decisions do not negatively affect both de jure and de facto our relations, which we value and want to develop," he pointed out.

Last year Peskov described Armenia's decision to ratify the Rome Statute as a "hostile move."  According to him, Moscow does not welcome Yerevan's intention to join the Rome Statute.

"Armenia knows very well that we are not a party to the Rome Statute, and Armenia knows very well the hard-to-please decision of the International Criminal Court to issue an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin, made on the basis of this statute. We know that this is very well known in Yerevan. This is not something we welcome," the Kremlin spokesman said last September

According to the Armenian government, joining the ICC will allow it to initiate legal proceedings against Azerbaijan (for war crimes committed in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia -0-.