Ararat Mirzoyan Meets with Sergey Lavrov
On January 21, Armenia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Ararat Mirzoyan visited Moscow for a working meeting with Russia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov. During the meeting, the two sides discussed the full range of Armenian-Russian bilateral relations, as well as cooperation within the EAEU and other integration platforms. Special attention was given to the situation in the South Caucasus and the peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
According to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, global agenda issues were also discussed. After the meeting, Ararat Mirzoyan and Sergey Lavrov held a joint press conference, where they presented the main outcomes of their discussions.
Armenia has always been committed to the principles of open and constructive dialogue, and we hope that in the future, the Russian side will take into account all aspects of the ongoing events, avoiding one-sided interpretations, which we have witnessed recently. Another important indicator of our bilateral relations is our cooperation on international platforms. Here, we always try to approach Russia’s interests with understanding, and there is a desire and understanding that the Russian side will also take into account Armenia’s interests to some extent. We aim to develop bilateral relations based on mutual benefit and practical cooperation, as well as respect for sovereignty, which I am convinced serves the interests of both countries, – stated Mirzoyan.
The meeting was also significant as Russia had recently responded sharply to discussions on Armenia’s potential membership in the EU. Russia’s Foreign Minister Lavrov had previously stated that “membership in the EAEU is incompatible with Armenia’s desire to join the EU.” The foreign ministers had last met in this format in July 2023.
A few days before Mirzoyan’s visit, on January 17, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Russian President Vladimir Putin had a phone conversation. It was reported that several regional issues were discussed, Pashinyan clarified Armenia’s recent steps in the context of relations with the EU, and Putin provided relevant comments and assessments, but details of the conversation were not disclosed.