Armenia Is Not Only a Partner, It Is Also Our Strategic Ally- Putin

ST PETERSBURG — Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted on Saturday, his Armenian counterpart Vahagn Khachaturyan on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum

Meeting for the first time, Putin and Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan exchanged pleasantries and committed to deepening cooperation between their two countries.

“Armenia is not only our partner, it is our strategic ally, and we value this. We understand everything that is happening in and around Armenia today,” Putin said. “We are interested in ensuring that the situation in the country is stable and guarantees sustained development.”

The Armenian president thanked Putin for inviting him to the forum, noting that as an economist he’s followed the annual event over the years.

“The Armenian people appreciate your efforts aimed at settling the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. I can say that your efforts to end the war are appreciated not only by me, but I also know that the people of Armenia appreciate it. It was very important that the war was stopped. It is very important for us that the agreements reached are observed,” Khachaturyan said.

The Armenian president said relations between the two countries are based on “historical friendship” and are of a “brotherly nature.”

“There is no need to say that you are a good brother, or you are a bad brother. Brotherly relations are like that. The essence and philosophy is like that. It’s everything. It’s trust, it’s sincerity. It’s joint plans and actions that must continue to be implemented,” Khachaturyan told Putin.

Khachaturyan notably revealed after the meeting that the Kremlin privately conceded it made an “oversight” in Parukh by allowing Azerbaijani troops to advance their position toward the village in March.