I Am Glad to Welcome You Once Again: The Meeting Between Pashinyan and Putin Has Begun

The meeting between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Russian President Vladimir Putin has commenced at the "Constantinople" Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia. According to an Armenian News Agency correspondent, the meeting began with a handshake and formal photo opportunity between the two leaders.

“I am very glad to welcome you once again, this time in St. Petersburg. The St. Petersburg Economic Forum is a good platform for meeting with partners and discussing economic agenda issues. There is no need to discuss bilateral issues; we do this regularly. Russia is Armenia's leading partner in terms of trade turnover and many other matters, which speaks to the good relationship between our two countries,” stated Putin.

Nikol Pashinyan expressed his pleasure at meeting Putin once again. “I am very happy to meet you again here in St. Petersburg. The last time we met was in Nur-Sultan, and the first time was a year ago. During this one year, we have had numerous meetings,” he remarked.

“Our relations are developing steadily. We are actively collaborating not only bilaterally but also within the framework of the EAEU, CIS, and CSTO. I am very pleased that we have the opportunity to completely develop our relations in these directions. In April, our country’s economic growth was recorded at 9.2%, which is a good indicator not only for Armenia but also for the EAEU, since our economic indicators are largely dependent on our cooperation within the EAEU,” Pashinyan added.

This year, there has also been a substantial increase in the number of tourists from Russia visiting Armenia. “Today, in all tourist regions, you can hear the Russian language. I ask Russian tourists how they feel in Armenia, and they respond that they feel good here. It is evident that many Russian tourists will continue to come to Armenia, and such interactions can foster the development of our political and economic relations,” said Pashinyan.