Armenia Ratifies Rome Statute, Further Complicating Relations with Moscow

Yerevan endorses International Criminal Court, which earlier this year issued arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan addresses parliament following an escalation in hostilities over the Nagorno-Karabakh region along the border of Armenia with Azerbaijan, in Yerevan, Armenia, on Sept. 13, 2022. Tigran Mehrabyan/PAN Photo via Reuters

Armenia’s Parliament has voted to ratify the Rome Statute—thereby endorsing the International Criminal Court (ICC)—in a move that’s sure to antagonize Russia, which has long viewed Armenia as a regional ally.

“The resolution [on ratification] has been approved,” Parliament Speaker Alen Simonyan said after the Oct. 3 vote, which was broadcast live online.