High level Armenian-Russian negotiations held at the Presidential Palace

High level Armenian-Russian negotiations held at the Presidential Palace are concluded. After the private meeting of the two Presidents, there took place negotiations in the extended format with the participation of the official delegations.

President Serzh Sargsyan once again welcomed the RF President V. Putin to Armenia and spoke with satisfaction about the dynamically developing Armenian-Russian relations. “Our meetings are of regular and frequent nature. Recently, we together participated at the CIS, Customs Union Summits. Before that, I believe, we had a productive meeting in Sochi, at the CSTO Council. Before that I visited Moscow where we talked about our common issues and our desire to join the Customs Union. I thank you for accepting our invitation and starting your state visit from Gyumri. It is our most colorful, most conservative town. I also thank you for your participation in the Interregional Forum, which we opened together. Your participation endowed the event with a special meaning.

I am confident that the visit of the Commander-in-Chief of the RF Armed Forces will undoubtedly have its positive impact on the combat readiness of the Russian military base, which according to our interstate agreements, is the most important element of Armenia’s security.

Vladimir Vladimirovich, I would like “to beat the gun” so to speak and express gratitude for the agreements which we will sign and which remove sensitive issues of a transitional period. It will allow the Armenia economy to develop normally. Thank you very much. Welcome. We have already discussed a number of issues, however, I think there is still a lot to do,” President Serzh Sargsyan said.

The RF President in his turn thanked President Serzh Sargsyan for the invitation and noted that this was his third visit to Armenia. He spoke about the Armenian-Russian relations and their prospects. “Probably there is no need to repeat that Russia and Armenia have special relations. It is more than a strategic partnership. I mean the historical roots of our cooperation. You just mentioned our military base in Gyumri. I would like very much (and we have spoken much about it – during the meetings in Gyumri, and during our direct contacts in the car and on the plane), we all would like very much to solve regional issues not through military force but through diplomacy, through the arrangements acceptable for all countries. We have inherited more than a few problems from the past, however I believe no matter how complex they are, we have to be guided by the interests of the people, first of all, by the interests of common folks who are in the direct and indirect sense of the word work on the land. If we are guided by that principle, we will always find solutions.

As for our bilateral relations, they are developing very successfully. Your decision to join the Customs Union and Common Economic Area has allowed us to prepared documents for signing them today, and you have termed them as sensitive for Armenia’s economy. I want to note that it is not our good will – it is our mutual arrangement. I mean that we are moving toward the common economic space and that’s the very reason for Russia to adopt the decisions you have mentioned because it is always a matter of agreements and mutual concessions. We understand the state of economy, understand that in joining the Customs Union Armenia should be self-reliant. A “safety cushion” must be created for the Armenian economy and our today’s agreements, which are ready to be signed, are just about that,” the RF President said during his meeting with the President of Armenia.

As a result of bilateral negotiations signed were documents aimed at the development and deepening of bilateral cooperation in a number of areas. in particular, signed were the Program of Events for 2014-2017 for the Realization of the Long-Term Economic Cooperation until 2020 between the Republic of Armenia and the Russian Federation, Agreement between the Republic of Armenia and the Russian Federation on Cooperation in the Area of Natural Gas, Oil Products and Unprocessed Natural Diamonds Supplies, Agreement between the Republic of Armenia and the Russian Federation on Price Formation for the Supply to the Republic of Armenia of Natural Gas, Agreement between the Republic of Armenia and the Russian Federation on the Purchase and Sale of the Shares of the HayRusgazard Closed Corporation and Terms of Future Activity, Program of Consultations for 2014-2015 between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Armenia and Government of the Russian Federation on Cooperation in the Area of Nuclear Safety, Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Armenia and Government of the Russian Federation on Cooperation in the Area of Military Courier Services, Agreement between the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Armenia and Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation for 2014-2015 on Future Steps for Expanding and Developing Cooperation in the Area of Secondary Education, Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Armenia and Gazprom public corporation on Reimbursement by the Government of the Republic of Armenia to the HayRusgazard Closed Corporation, Program of Joint Actions for 2014-2016 between the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Armenia and Federal Tourism Agency of the Russian Federation, Contract between the HayRusgazard Closed Corporation and Gazprom Export public corporation on Import of Natural Gas to the Republic of Armenian for 2014-2018, Agreement between the Oil Techno LP corporation and Rosneft Global Trade C.A. on creation of a joint enterprise and joint-stock agreement.

After the signing ceremony, Presidents Serzh Sargsyan and Vladimir Putin at the meeting with the representatives of the mass media made statements recapping the results of the negotiations and answered the questions raised by the journalists.