BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 3. Armenia is trying to restore its image in countries of the West after it was exposed to helping Russia bypass sanctions, the Lithuanian Alfa news website said in its article, Trend Reports.
As the author noted, one of the Armenian publishers posted an article, claiming that "Armenia is the only democracy in the Caucasus", seeking help from the West and international organizations.
"Such publications are intended for a Western reader who is not familiar with the local context. This propaganda material is aimed at restoring the image of the republic after many Western and Eastern European media in recent weeks have reported an exceptional role of Armenia in the illegal re-export of equipment, including military equipment, to Russia," the author said.
As the author of the article pointed out, the statements about the uniqueness of Armenian democracy amount to attempts by Prime Minister Pashinyan to demonstrate to the US and the EU his reorientation towards the West since the beginning of the war in Ukraine.
"In fact, according to European and US media sources, Yerevan maintains a close military and strategic partnership with Moscow and Tehran. The same applies to "democracy". Statements by many Armenian politicians and non-governmental organizations, as well as many other facts, show that Armenia remains a classic Eastern autocracy, diligently covered by a light shade of modernist citizenship," the author concluded.
Earlier, an article in the New York Times revealed that a surge has been recorded in chips and other electronic components re-export from Armenia to Russia. As the author noted, eight particular types of those chips, crucial for the production of weapons, are delivered to Russia.
"One document marked with the seal of the U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security said that in 2022, Armenia imported 515 percent more chips and processors from the US and 212 percent more from the EU than in 2021. Armenia then exported 97 percent of those same products to Russia, the document said," the article noted.
Also, the US Departments of Commerce, the Treasury, and of Justice have issued a trilateral note on the specifications of the signs of attempts to circumvent sanctions against Russia.
According to the document, one of the most common tactics is the use of third-party intermediaries or transshipment points to avoid restrictions. It was revealed that Armenia is used to illegally redirect goods to Russia or Belarus, thus, bypassing West sanctions.