We Are Interested in This Matter: Lavrov

Russia is interested in Armenia's active participation in the CSTO. This was stated today by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during a joint press conference with Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan.

Lavrov arrived in Armenia yesterday, on May 20. Today, he laid a wreath at the Eternal Flame monument in Yerevan. Following that, a private meeting took place between Lavrov and Mirzoyan at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which was followed by an expanded meeting. They then signed a plan for consultations between the foreign ministries of the two countries for the years 2025-2026.

The Russian foreign minister emphasized that these meetings with Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan are a result of the agreements between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan last autumn to restore the pace of mutual cooperation.

Lavrov also highlighted the importance of expanding mutual diplomatic presence between the two countries. “We are also interested in establishing relations between cities and regions of our two countries. This goal is also aimed at the preparation of an interregional forum,” he noted.

Touching upon Armenia-Russia trade turnover, Lavrov mentioned that it reached 1.6 billion drams in the past year. “Currently, 96 percent of mutual trade is conducted in national currencies. Russian economic operators traditionally act as major taxpayers and employers in Armenia and implement socially significant projects,” stated the Russian Foreign Minister.

He recalled that the Russian side welcomed the efforts of the Armenian authorities to ensure the legal interests of Russian business circles investing in Armenia. According to Lavrov, this will promote further inflows of investments into critical sectors of the Armenian economy, such as agriculture, energy, mining, transport, and infrastructure.

Concluding his remarks, the Russian Foreign Minister emphasized that he is generally satisfied with the outcomes of the negotiations with Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan, as they spoke sincerely without hiding their national positions.