Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan visited Moscow and held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on May 8 amid rising tensions between the two traditional allies.
Mr Putin hosted Mr Pashinyan for talks following the summit of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) – a Moscow-led economic bloc, which both leaders attended earlier in the day. The talks came a day after Mr Putin began his fifth term in office at a lavish inauguration ceremony in the Kremlin on 7 May.
In brief remarks at the start of talks with the Armenian prime minister, Mr. Putin said bilateral trade was growing, while acknowledging “some security-related issues in the region.”
“First of all, we have always been interested in economic cooperation,” Putin said, pointing out that Russian-Armenian trade turnover reached a record of more than $7 billion last year. The Russian leader also noted that Armenia benefits from joining the EAEU, adding that over the past decade, Yerevan’s trade turnover with the countries of the economic organization has increased 14-fold.
President Putin invited Prime Minister Pashinyan to discuss regional security issues, alluding to the controversy surrounding Armenia's participation in the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), a Russia-led military bloc.
“Obviously, there are issues that are not only related to increased trade. There are issues related to security in the region. We will not discuss them in detail in an open format now. But this is an opportunity to talk about the entire range of our relations, including regional security issues, on the sidelines of the EAEU meeting,” Putin said.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan (left) and Russian President Vladimir Putin attend a working dinner after the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) Summit, at the Kremlin in Moscow, May 8, 2024. Photo: Yahoo!News
Mr Pashinyan confirmed that “there are issues that need to be discussed”. “The last time we met was in December last year. Since then, issues have accumulated,” the Armenian prime minister told the Russian president.
The talks between the two leaders then continued behind closed doors. No specific agreements were announced by either side immediately afterwards.
As Mr. Pashinyan visited Moscow on May 8, Armenia’s Foreign Ministry announced that the country would stop paying dues to the CSTO. Armenia had previously suspended its participation in the alliance as Yerevan sought to strengthen ties with the European Union (EU) and NATO.
Moscow, preoccupied with the Ukraine conflict now in its third year, has publicly expressed concern about Yerevan's shift westward but sought to downplay differences between the two longtime allies.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov acknowledged on May 7 that “there are certain problems in our bilateral relations,” but added that “there is political will to continue dialogue.”
“So in this case we tend to be more optimistic,” Mr. Peskov said, according to Russia's RIA Novosti news agency .
Minh Duc (According to Anadolu, Radio Azatutyun, AP)
Source: https://www.nguoiduatin.vn/thu-tuong-armenia-gap-ong-putin-sau-le-nham-chuc-cua-tong-thong-nga-a662770.html
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