Armenia PM Pashinyan meets Russia's Putin; discusses bilateral agenda & other issues

On Tuesday, October 12, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow and termed the meeting as productive. Pashinyan said that both countries discussed the bilateral agenda and current situation in the region. He also said that frequent meetings with the Russian President demonstrate the active pace of relations between Armenia and Russia. "This is the fourth time we have met this year. First and foremost, I would like to express my gratitude for the offer to visit Moscow. These regular meetings demonstrate the active pace of our interactions and a common appreciation of the value of our strategic alliances," the Armenian Prime Minister was quoted as saying by the Russian news agency TASS. 

Pashinyan went on to remark that the situation in the region has not yet calmed down as the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict remains unresolved. It is apparent that Russia plays a crucial role in resolving the conflict and, more broadly, guaranteeing regional stability, he said, noting that Russia also co-chairs the Organization for Security and Co-operation (OSCE) Minsk Group. The OSCE Minsk Group was established in 1992 by the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe to promote a peaceful, negotiated settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia. It should be mentioned here that intense clashes between Azerbaijan and Armenia erupted in Nagorno-Karabakh in September last year. Following this, in the month of November, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev, and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan signed a joint declaration calling for an immediate end to hostilities in the war zone, according to TASS.

Armenia-Russia relation

According to the document, the Azerbaijani and Armenian sides kept their previous positions, however, Baku took control of various territories and posted Russian peacekeepers along the contact line and the Lachin Corridor. After signing the agreement, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated that Armenia would never consider itself vanquished and that the agreement would mark the beginning of a new period of national unity and regeneration, reported TASS. It is worth mentioning here that though Russia has been a prominent player in Armenia since the early 19th century, modern-day Armenia and the Russian Federation established formal relations in April 1992. Between 1826 and 1828, the Russian Empire and Qajar Persia fought a war in which Eastern Armenia surrendered to Russia. Furthermore, Russia was considered a protector of the Christian inhabitants of the Ottoman Empire, particularly the Armenians.

Image: Twitter/@Nikol Pashinyan