Pashinyan thanks Putin for his role in returning Armenian POWs

YEREVAN, JULY 7, ARMENPRESS. Caretaker Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan is confident that the third meeting with the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin this year reflects the dynamics of relations between the two countries, ARMENPRESS reports Pashinyan stated at the beginning of the meeting with Russian President Putin in the Kremlin.

Pashinyan once again expressed condolences on the plane crash in Kamchatka, expressing sympathy to the families and friends of all the victims.

Thanking for the invitation and congratulations on the victory in the early parliamentary elections, Pashinyan stressed that it is indeed a very important opportunity to discuss all issues related to bilateral relations.

"Unfortunately, we have been discussing security issues a lot lately, as the situation in our region is not stable.

Everyone is aware of your personal efforts and the efforts of the Russian Federation to achieve a ceasefire in the 44-day war. I must say that the situation in Nagorno Karabakh is stable after the deployment of Russian peacekeepers. But from time to time spots of anxiety and instability emerge. Today I want to share with you the assessments and opinions on why and how it happens. The situation on Armenia – Azerbaijan border is also not very stable. We have talked about this issue many times. I want to say that, unfortunately, here we have also had constant anxiety for the last two months.

Unfortunately, the issue of prisoners of war is still not completely resolved, although, fortunately, there is good news here, as 15 prisoners of war returned to the homeland a few days ago. I would like to emphasize your personal role here and thank you’', Pashinyan said, reminding that earlier, on June 24, they had spoken about this issue in a telephone conversation, after which the return of the Armenian prisoners of war took place.

"I must say that there is also good news in the field of economy. I hope you remember that in 2019 we discussed issues in related to the activities of the South Caucasus Railways in Yerevan. I have to say that today the railway refreshments are in full swing in Armenia, which is really good news, since a large investment program is being implemented’', Pashinyan said.

He stressed that exports from Armenia to Russia have increased this year. "I would like to thank you for your support in supplying the Sputnik V vaccine to Armenia. Today we received more than 100 thousand doses. Fortunately, the situation with the coronavirus in Armenia is quite good, and the flow of Russian tourists to our country is already noticeable," Pashinyan said, expressing hope that all issues of bilateral relations will be discussed today.

In response to Pashinyan's observation, Putin added. "In general, I think the consultations between our countries are going on with a normal pace''.