MOSCOW — Arme- nia and Azerbaijan have made significant progress toward normalizing rela- tions, and the signing of a peace agreement is an- ticipated—an outcome that is crucial for Arme- nia’s future, stated Alen Simonyan, Speaker of the National Assembly of Ar- menia, during a meeting in Moscow with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Simonyan noted that Armenia is interested in maintaining relations with Rus- sia and does not want Moscow to perceive Armenia as taking steps against it. At the same time, he emphasized that there are issues that require discussion. Referring to the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), Simonyan said that Yerevan still has unanswered questions. “We are also concerned by the rhetoric we often hear in the public sphere. This concerns Armenian society as well,” he said, adding that the public reacts very negatively to statements coming from Moscow, since Russia is an ally and an important partner for Armenia. Opening the talks with Simonyan in Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Russia regularly hears what he described as strange statements about alleged “imaginary attacks from the north” against Armenia. “It is somewhat strange for us to repeatedly hear claims that some mythical attacks from the north are being prepared against Armenia, or that there are exis- tential threats coming from the Collective Security Treaty Organization,” Lavrov said. Lavrov also addressed statements from Yerevan regarding so-called hybrid threats. He noted that the European Union constantly places Armenia before a forced choice—either with Russia or with the EU. “Membership in the European Union is incompatible with membership in the Eurasian Economic Union, but Russia respects Armenia’s choice,” he added.