On September 6, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan arrived on a working visit to the Russian city Vladivostok. The delegation led by the Head of the Government consists of Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan, Deputy Presidents of the National Assembly Hakob Arshakyan and Ruben Rubinyan, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Mnatsakan Safaryan, and other officials, the Press Office of the Armenian Prime Minister reported.

The Head of the Government took part in the plenary session of the 7th Eastern Economic Forum themed "On the road to a multipolar world" in Vladivostok, which was held with the participation of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Heads of State of other countries.

Pashinyan's speech at Eastern Economic Forum

On September 7, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan participated in the plenary session of the 7th Eastern Economic Forum on the theme "On the Way to a Multipolar World" in Vladivostok. The President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, the Prime Ministers of Myanmar Min Aung Hlaing and Mongolia Luvsannamsrain Oyun-Erdene, and the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China Li Zhanshu also participated in the event. Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi and Government Heads of Malaysia Ismail Sabri Fumio Kishida and Vietnam Pham Minh Chinh remotely delivered speeches at the forum.

He said, "In this context, of course, these are unusual times for our region as well, because there are challenges here that have existed for a long time, and they are primarily related to security. How is this related to the current situation? When the attention of the entire international community, and especially the Russian Federation, Armenia's strategic ally in the field of security, is focused on the situation around Ukraine, there are concrete concerns that this may lead to destabilization of the situation in our region."

Regarding the 44-day War and post-war situation, he stated that Armenia has had a not-so-stable situation in recent years. "You are aware that in 2020 we passed through war, and when Azerbaijan started that war, all the attention of the international community, including the Russian Federation, was focused on the coronavirus pandemic. We hope that in close cooperation with the Russian Federation and our partners, we will be able to manage and keep our regional situation under control," he added. "I must say that we are interested in this, and we hope to solve this issue soon with the support of Russia. Of course, not everything is final here. There is good progress in the work of the trilateral commission, but everything is not decided because legal issues still need to be resolved, under which legal regulations these roads should operate. The general position is clear that the roads to be opened must operate under the full sovereignty of the countries they pass. We hope that with that principle, we will be able to implement the project, which we call "Armenian Crossroads." We hope that the roads connecting the south to the north and the west to the east will pass through the territory of Armenia. I think that this project is very important not only for the countries of the region - Armenia, Iran, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey - but also for the Russian Federation, the far-away Eastern countries, Eastern countries in general, the African region, and the Middle East as well. This is a truly global project that we hope to implement," Pashinyan stated.

The Armenian Prime Minister said about economic projects by Eurasian Economic Union: "This year, we have targeted to record at least 7 percent economic growth. And in that context, I would like to emphasize that the Eurasian Economic Union has met the expectations of our country in this specific situation as well because the economic growth that is now being observed in Armenia is related to the freedoms that the Eurasian Economic Union provides. I mean the free movement of goods, services, capital, and labor, and we see this firsthand. Of course, we need to work on the next stage to maintain this dynamic so that a new economic crisis does not arise following such economic growth. Since the issue related to the regions has already been discussed here, it is necessary to clarify what Armenia has to do with the Eastern Forum and the Far East. It is known that the logistics schemes are changing in the current situation. If we look at the map, we can see and notice that opportunities are also opening for Armenia. Despite everything, the movement of goods from east to west and from west to east will not stop, and from north to south and from south to north neither. If we look at the map, it is obvious that Armenia is at the crossroads of these roads and routes. We believe that there are indeed opportunities that should be attempted to be exploited. Now we are implementing the North-South project in Armenia. It is the construction of a new highway that connects our southern border with Iran to the northern border with Georgia."

He also talked about the normalization process with Turkey: "You know that we started a dialogue with Turkey. We hope to settle relations with Turkey with the assistance of Russia. An intensive conversation is going on with Azerbaijan in the direction of settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh problem. In this context, we also expect the support of the Russian Federation not only as a strategic ally of the Republic of Armenia. Russia is a very close partner for Azerbaijan as well. I think it opens an opportunity. I would also like to emphasize the role of Russia as an OSCE Minsk Group Co-chair, which deals with the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh problem."

Nikol Pashinyan and Vladimir Putin meet in Vladivostok

On the same day, within the framework of the 7th Eastern Economic Forum on "On the Way to a Multipolar World" held in Vladivostok, the meeting between Nikol Pashinyan and Vladimir Putin took place.

In his speech, the Russian President said, “Our relations are developing in all directions. We work in our organizations, both in the economic organization and in the CSTO, I mean, ensuring security and stability. In the near future, you are also planning to attend the events planned within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Uzbekistan, where there will be opportunities to meet and negotiate with your partners once again.

Russia confidently maintains first place among Armenia's trade and economic partners. Trade turnover has recently increased by approximately 25-30 percent. We really notice economic stabilization in Armenia. Your government has done a lot in that direction."

"Of course, one of the most sensitive issues is ensuring security around Nagorno Karabakh. We always talk about it; we are always in touch. We are expanding the range of companies and people cooperating. In the near future, business operators are also going to meet, and they will also hold a regional forum. Other events are also planned, including in humanitarian, cultural, and educational fields," he said.

In turn, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said, "As you already mentioned, this year was a very important year for our relations. I mean the anniversaries related to both the CSTO and our bilateral relations. Russia is the closest partner and strategic ally of the Republic of Armenia. And particularly in these difficult times, constant communication and clarification of positions are very important."

"You mentioned, I also want to mention, the mission of Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno Karabakh. I must admit, this is not an easy mission. We have talked about it many times. We highly appreciate the activities of Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh, in the Lachin Corridor. I think it is very important to highlight that. In general, in the sense of ensuring security in Nagorno-Karabakh, there are nuances that we constantly discuss. I think it will be very appropriate to discuss these issues today," Pashinyan stated.

"The issues related to trade and economic relations between our countries are also traditional. It is very gratifying that in the post-pandemic period, our trade and economic relations have not only been restored but there are also some new positive developments, which we discussed during the forum. Of course, the agenda of our relations is vibrant, and I am sure that we will have a meaningful and intense conversation today as well," he concluded.

Mirzoyan Meets Lavrov in Moscow

A day earlier, the Foreign Minister of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan, who was in Moscow on a working visit, met with Foreign Minister of Russia Sergey Lavrov, the Press Office of the Armenian Foreign Ministry reported.

Minister Mirzoyan expressed his condolences over the human casualties resulting from the explosion near the Embassy of Russia in Afghanistan and wished a speedy recovery to those injured.

The two Foreign Ministers discussed the issues related to strengthening the Armenian-Russian strategic partnership and allied relations, including in trade-economic and scientific-cultural spheres. Highlighting that this year marks the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations and the 25th anniversary of the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance between Armenia and Russia, the sides commended active dialogue established at the highest levels and the close cooperation within Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), and other international organizations. The interlocutors discussed a wide range of regional security and stability issues. They exchanged views on issues regarding the delimitation and border security between Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well as the works on unblocking economic and transport infrastructures in the region. Issues related to the normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well as the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, were discussed in detail. The importance of implementing the agreements reached within the Trilateral Statements of November 9, 2020, January 11, and November 26, 2021, was reiterated.

Ararat Mirzoyan emphasized the efforts of the Russian side, including within the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship, aimed at the lasting and comprehensive settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Referring to the humanitarian issues resulting from the 44-day war, Ararat Mirzoyan emphasized the need for the early repatriation of Armenian POWs and other detainees and the need for the preservation of the Armenian historical and cultural heritage in the territories under the control of Azerbaijan.

The important role of the Russian peacekeeping contingent in Nagorno-Karabakh was stressed in strengthening the ceasefire regime in the conflict zone, preventing provocations, and ensuring the safety and living conditions of the Armenian population of [the separatist] Nagorno-Karabakh. Ministers Mirzoyan and Lavrov also discussed the state visit of the President of Russia to Armenia and the process of organization of the CSTO Collective Security Council session to be held in Yerevan.