Russian MFA on Kremlin’s effort for normalisation process between Armenia and Azerbaijan

“Moscow is helping to negotiate a peace treaty between Yerevan and Baku, it is determined to create an atmosphere of trust and mutual understanding between the parties,” Denis Gonchar, director of the fourth department of the CIS countries of the Russian Foreign Ministry, said.

“We are helping to agree on a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The Russian side is determined to continue to help Yerevan and Baku in every possible way to find common ground, to create an atmosphere of trust and mutual understanding. At the same time, we welcome the initiatives of third countries that can complement our trilateral efforts, and are not based on the logic of geopolitical games,” said a senior foreign policy official.

As part of the implementation of the trilateral agreements between the leaders of Russia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan, a whole range of tasks are being solved, including the launch of the process of delimitation and subsequent demarcation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border along with unblocking economic and transport ties in the region, the Russian diplomat recalled.

“In particular, we are ready to provide advisory assistance to the bilateral commission on border delimitation and provide the necessary cartographic materials. We are moving towards the soonest coordination of specific projects for the restoration and development of transport infrastructure within the framework of a trilateral working group chaired jointly by the Deputy Prime Ministers of Russia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan,” Gonchar emphasised.

At the same time, Gonchar drew attention to the “balanced position of Yerevan and Baku on Ukraine”. Even in the face of “unprecedented external pressure and the anti-Russian campaign”, Russia's Transcaucasian partners are building a policy based on national interests, he stated.

Russia supported Armenia with preferential gas pricing

“Russia has retained preferential pricing for natural gas for Armenia within the framework of previously reached agreements,” Denis Gonchar, director of the fourth department of the CIS countries of the Russian Foreign Ministry, said.

During the recent visit of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to Moscow, a solid package of documents was signed, including on cooperation in the energy sector, a senior official of the Foreign Ministry recalled, adding that the relevant Russian and Armenian departments have already begun to implement the finalised agreements.

“We agreed to keep preferential pricing for gas for our Armenian friends. Gazprom Armenia covers 80% of the country's needs in blue fuel. The volume of investments through Gazprom in the economy exceeds $800 million,” Gonchar stated.

The Foreign Ministry representative also drew attention to the fact that Russia is actively switching to settlements in the national currency with Armenia. Yerevan began to pay in roubles for natural gas supplied to Armenia.

Russian Foreign Ministry on agenda of Putin's possible visit to Armenia

Russian President Vladimir Putin is currently planned to take part in the laying of a monument to Russian-Armenian friendship in the centre of Yerevan. This was announced by the director of the fourth department of the CIS countries of the Russian Foreign Ministry Denis Gonchar.

The invitation to visit Yerevan was conveyed to the Russian leader by the Armenian Prime Minister during his official visit to Russia on April 19-20.

“Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan invited Vladimir Putin to visit Armenia in the second half of the year in conjunction with the session of the CSTO Collective Security Council (Yerevan currently chairs the CSTO),” a senior foreign policy official explained.

According to him, within the rich Russian-Armenian dialogue, other contacts are being prepared at various levels, which will continue the past meetings. On April 21-23, the 34th meeting of the Inter-Parliamentary Commission on Cooperation was held in Yerevan, there are plans to gather the parliamentarians of the two countries again - as part of a meeting of the relevant committees of the State Duma of Russia and the National Assembly of Armenia, Gonchar said.

“During 2022, we will host the Days of Armenian Culture in Russia and hold the Days of Spiritual Culture of Russia in Armenia. The interregional and youth forums will be held again, as well as the 21st meeting of the intergovernmental commission on economic cooperation,” the representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry listed.

“Additional steps are being taken to strengthen the position of the Russian language in Armenia, in particular by supporting Russian classes in Armenian schools, retraining schoolteachers to teach according to Russian standards. This is necessary not only to preserve a common educational, scientific, and linguistic space, but also to meet the demand observed in Armenia for the study of the Russian language,” the diplomat stressed.