Yerevan is free to make its own choice, Armenian Parliament Speaker Ruben Rubinyan said, as tensions continue to draw attention to Armenia’s relations with Russia.

Rubinyan said Yerevan has always understood that it is free to determine its own course and will continue to exercise that right, Aysor.am reports.

“We knew, one way or another, that Yerevan is free in its choice, and from now on Yerevan will always be free to implement its choice,” he said.

Rubinyan also stressed that Armenia is not taking steps aimed at worsening relations with Russia.

“On the contrary, we have done and continue to do everything to maintain good-neighborly relations,” he said.

At the same time, the Armenian parliament speaker criticized what he described as “unfair and unjustified restrictions” imposed on Armenian businesses.

“Unfair and unjustified restrictions against Armenian economic entities are consistent neither with the spirit of the Armenia-Russia relations nor with the rules of the Eurasian Economic Union,” Rubinyan said.

His comments come after Russian State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin accused Yerevan of pursuing a “cynical and deceitful” policy, claiming that Armenia benefits from Eurasian Economic Union preferences while simultaneously seeking closer ties with the European Union.