YEREVAN, AUGUST 9, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a meeting today with Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev during the Eurasian Economic Union Inter-governmental Council session in Kyrgyzstan.

The PMs discussed a broad range of issues concerning the strategic Armenian-Russian relations and touched upon the bilateral partnership agenda, according to a news release issued by the Pashinyan Administration.

Pashinyan and Medvedev particularly discussed the further development of trade-economic ties, increase of trade turnover volumes and implementation of joint programs. The Armenian and Russian PMs stated that dynamic growth is recorded in bilateral relations and that active work must be continued to strengthen and develop the allied Armenian-Russian ties.

Medvedev commended Armenia’s successful presidency in the EEU and noted that an upwards development exists in bilateral relations, which is testified by the frequency of various-level high ranking official meetings and contacts in the formats of both leaders of countries, inter-governmental and inter-parliamentary.

PM Pashinyan positively assessed the Armenia-Russia strategic cooperation process and was pleased to note particularly the growth in tourism: the number of Russian tourists visiting Armenia grew 19% in the first half of 2019 compared to the previous year’s same period, in conditions when the overall number of visiting tourists in Armenia grew 12,8%. Pashinyan also noted that the mechanism for solving problems which appear at the Upper Lars checkpoint is effectively working. The Armenian PM attached importance to the complete utilization of the entire potential of the EEU in the context of further developing bilateral relations.

The sides also touched upon cooperation in the areas of natural gas, the nuclear power station and air transportation, as well as a number of other issues of the bilateral relations agenda.

They also exchanged ideas over issues covered recently in the Armenian and Russian press.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan.