On January 21, Sergey Lavrov, the Foreign Minister of Russia, delivered opening remarks during talks with Ararat Mirzoyan, the Foreign Minister of Armenia, in Moscow, emphasizing the importance of their bilateral relations and regional security.

Lavrov stated, "We are delighted to welcome you to Moscow as the year 2025 begins. The year 2024 was quite challenging as far as our bilateral relations were concerned. Today, we would like to have a frank conversation with you and to do that in the same spirit as our respective leaders – President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan – have been maintaining." He expressed confidence in addressing mutual challenges constructively, highlighting Russia's appreciation for its brotherly ties with Armenia, a strategic partner and ally.

Lavrov reviewed the regular high-level meetings in 2024, noting Pashinyan's visits to Moscow for the CIS meeting and the BRICS Summit in Kazan, as well as the 23rd meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission for Trade and Economic Cooperation, where key agreements were signed. He also pointed out the impressive trade growth, reaching nearly $12 billion in 2024, facilitated by bilateral cooperation and the Eurasian Economic Union.

Lavrov underlined the cultural, humanitarian, and regional ties enriching their relations and emphasized the upcoming 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War. He assured Russia's readiness to assist in normalizing Armenia-Azerbaijan relations based on agreements made in 2020-2022, stressing their relevance in addressing regional security.

During the meeting, he concluded by looking forward to productive discussions on bilateral relations, regional developments, and international issues.