Within the framework of his official visit to Russia, a meeting took place between the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Novo-Ogaryovo residence near Moscow.
Welcoming Prime Minister Pashinyan, the Russian President stated: “Dear Nikol Vladimirovich, I am very glad to see you.
Your visit is dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between our countries. I know that you have a very extensive programme — meetings with the head of government and the leadership of the Federal Assembly, followed by a visit to Nizhny Novgorod. The signing of a number of documents is also planned.
In our legal relations, we have a rich archive of 200 documents signed in previous years. This practically creates a good opportunity to work in all directions, one of the foremost of which is the economy. According to our statistics, in 2021 we had growth of 12.8 percent, and in the first months of this year, growth of 50 percent. This is a very good indicator, especially in the modern world.
Of course, security issues will be at the centre of our attention, such as the Karabakh issue. I agree with you, the problems are many; we are in constant contact with you — if not every week, then we speak by phone at least once every 10 days. Despite the pandemic, we have regular meetings. I am very glad to see you, welcome.”
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, in turn, stated: “Thank you, Vladimir Vladimirovich. First of all, allow me to express my gratitude for the invitation to Russia on an official visit.
As you said, this visit has not only practical but also symbolic significance, because it is dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between our countries and shows that the relations between our countries are at a very high level. I hope that after this visit, this momentum will not only continue but also become more effective.
We are indeed in constant contact, we meet very often, and we constantly have telephone conversations, given that the agenda of our bilateral relations is very rich, practically in all spheres — starting with the economy and ending with culture, education and military cooperation. Russia is Armenia’s strategic partner; we cooperate effectively within the Eurasian Economic Union, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and the Collective Security Treaty Organization. It is no secret that Russia plays a key role in ensuring security and stability in our region.
I must once again emphasise your key role in 2020 in halting the military operations in Nagorno-Karabakh and establishing the ceasefire. Since then, Russian peacekeepers have been operating in Nagorno-Karabakh, and it must be noted that, overall, the activities of the Russian peacekeepers ensure security, and it seems that we need to look at what can be done to make the peacekeepers’ activities more effective.
Of course, the main political issue in our region is the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh problem. I hope that today we will also talk about that. Indeed, my visit has a very rich agenda, a large part of which is connected with these negotiations. I am confident that we will succeed in conducting effective negotiations. I express my gratitude and am very glad to see you.”
Summarising his remarks, Vladimir Putin said: “You mentioned our cooperation in the sphere of culture. In Russia, on the occasion of your visit and the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations, Days of Armenian Culture will be held, and in Armenia, Days of Russian Spiritual Culture will be held. I think that this too will draw our attention during this meeting.”
***
Within the framework of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia’s official visit to Russia, the following documents were signed between the two countries:
“A memorandum on cooperation in the social and labour sphere between the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs of the Republic of Armenia and the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs of Russia,”
“A programme of cooperation for 2022-2023 between the Compulsory Enforcement Service of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Armenia and the Federal Bailiff Service of Russia,”
“A comprehensive programme of Armenian-Russian cooperation in the field of energy and non-energy projects,”
“A protocol on the transition to the harmonisation of information systems in the field of plant protection between the Food Safety Inspectorate of the Republic of Armenia and the Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance of Russia,”
“A programme of cooperation in the field of culture for 2022-2025 between the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of the Republic of Armenia and the Ministry of Culture of Russia,”
“A programme of cooperation for 2022-2023 between the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Armenia and the Ministry of Justice of Russia,”
“An agreement on cooperation in the field of ensuring information security between the Government of the Republic of Armenia and the Government of Russia.”
