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In the Kremlin, Vladimir Putin met with Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, who is in Russia on a working visit.
The two leaders discussed key issues of developing allied Russian-Armenian relations and cooperation in Eurasia, including in the Eurasian Economic Union and the Collective Security Treaty Organisation.
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President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Mister Prime Minister, I am very pleased to see you.
I think there is no need to qualify our relations: they are very special. It has been so for centuries, not just since you and I have started working together.
Today, relations between Russia and Armenia are developing at a steady pace in all areas, including politics, military and security matters, and the economy.
Russia is firmly Armenia’s largest economic partner. Our country is Armenia’s biggest investor, and as I can point out, our investments are quite diverse.
They include energy, such as hydrocarbons, with gas delivery at $150 for 1000 cubic metres, which is the lowest rate in the world for Gazprom. There is also nuclear and thermal energy. We are going forward in various fields in the metals industry, and machine building. So we have quite a lot to talk about here.
It is especially pleasing that bilateral trade grew by nearly 30 percent last year, with a 22.2 percent increase in the first six months of 2018. At this rate, we will surpass last year’s indicators.
Our countries have a lot to work together on. I am very glad to see you to compare notes on our current and medium-term relations.
Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan: Mr President,
First, let me congratulate you on Moscow Day. I have felt already that it will be a huge holiday, and I am happy to be here in Moscow in this festive atmosphere.
Of course, I am pleased with our regular meeting, the third in the last four months. I think the regularity underscores the special nature of our bilateral relations. Let me point out that our personal relationship is special as well.
I want to stress that despite certain pessimism evident in both the Armenian and Russian media and in social networks, it is my belief that our relations are developing dynamically. I think that our priority is to try to develop the full potential of our bilateral relations.
That does not mean that our relations face no issues. God forbid that a relationship is free from any issue because it means there are no relations. I can say with certainty that there are no insurmountable issues, and we are going to discuss a wide range of topics today.
I am sure that these issues will be resolved and we will continue to base our allied relations on mutual respect for the interests and the sovereignty of our countries, and the principle of non-interference.
I am pleased to have heard Russian representatives repeatedly underscore these principles each time they spoke about our relations. I think that our priority is to develop the potential that lies therein.
Naturally, our relations are great, but we should not stop there. Progress can be made in politics, the economy, technology, defence, and in humanitarian ties.
Of course, we are committed to further strengthening our relations, and not only bilateral relations, but our joint work within the Eurasian Economic Union, the Collective Security Treaty Organisation, and in other areas.
You are, of course, correct that our trade has grown by over 20 percent this year. This is certainly great news. There is a lot of good news when it comes to our relations, so we just need to focus and decide on certain matters, and, naturally, see what we can do to make sure we continue forward together as energetically as we have.
Let me repeat that I am pleased to have this meeting with you. I am certain that we can maintain this regularity, because I enjoy talking to you both officially and personally, so I believe we can look forward to a good conversation.
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September 8, 2018, The Kremlin, Moscow