Iran Press/ Europe: According to a Kremlin statement, Putin called on all Armenian parties to exercise restraint and resolve the issue within the framework of the law.
In a telephone conversation with his Armenian counterpart Ara Ayvazyan, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called for a peaceful resolution of Armenia's internal disputes.
In addition to Lavrov, Russian government spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Thursday expressed concern over recent developments in Armenia.
At a press conference, Peskov called on all parties to exercise restraint, saying that the internal situation in Armenia should not be addressed outside the framework of its constitution.
Armenian Army Chief of Staff Onik Gasparyan and a group of his deputies called for the resignation of the Prime Minister and the Cabinet today.
After the announcement, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan ousted Gasparyan and called on his supporters to hold a rally in Yerevan's Republic Square.
Despite months of pressure, Pashinyan resisted leaving office and defended the agreement with the Republic of Azerbaijan on the Nagorno-Karabakh region as a painful but necessary move.
Criticism and protests against the Armenian Prime Minister have intensified since the defeat of Armenia in the 44-day war with the Republic of Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh region, which led to a ceasefire with the trilateral agreement between Yerevan, Baku and Moscow.
In this war, after the advance of the forces of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Armenia was forced to evacuate the seven occupied regions of the country in the Nagorno-Karabakh region and retreat to the international borders.
Pashinyan's opponents accuse him of betraying and killing Armenian forces in the war and demand his removal from office. 219
