Yerevan /Mediamax/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that "the very idea of EU Eastern Partnership project was based on "either with us or against us” logic.

The Russian FM said this in his interview to Vesti TV program, Mediamax reports.

Mediamax notes that Armenian and EU leadership used to make diametrically opposite assessments.

In July 2013, EU Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighborhood Policy Stefan Fule said in Yerevan that Armenia shouldn’t face the choice of cooperation with EU or Russia.

“We have never told our partners: stop or reduce your cooperation with Russian partners. Vice versa, we clearly say that the commitments within Eastern Partnership can’t have a negative impact on traditional ties with Russia. We state the same thing in Moscow, too”, said Stefan Fule. He noted that the EU “encourages to continue the cooperation with Russia which Armenia thinks important and relevant to its interests”.

Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan said in his interview to “Kommersant” newspaper in April 2012 that EU Eastern Partnership program is not aimed at weakening of Russia’s positions.

“Armenia is a small country. It cannot play with the diplomacy. Our strategic partner, Russia, knows about all our cooperation programs, be it with the EU, NATO, USA, Iran, China or Georgia. Russia understands what we are doing. If we look at the issue from the positions of Yerevan, it becomes clear that we don’t have big choice for the development of partner relations, taking into consideration our geopolitical situation and the problems with the neighbors. But we do not hide anything from our partners and this is our strength,” the PM said then.