ArmInfo. Russia's Ministry of foreign Affairs has provided information on Armenian-Russian cooperation prior to Armenian FM Ararat Mirzoyan's visit to Moscow.
On March 20, the Armenian and Russian FMs will hold talks.
The upcoming meeting is a follow-up to the traditional close contacts between Moscow and Yerevan. The ministers plan a comprehensive discussion on the current state of Russian-Armenian cooperation and further steps toward its development.
The Armenian and Russian FMs will focus on the regional agenda in the context of implementation of the Russian-Armenian-Azerbaijani agreements of November 9, 2020, January 11 and November 26, 2011, and October 31, 2022.
"Armenia is one of Russia's major allies and strategic partner in the South Caucasus. We maintain regular top-level dialogue. Last year, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Armenian Premier Nikol Pashinyan had nine meetings and 25 telephone talks, and three telephone talks in 2023," reads an official report by the RF Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Armenian-Russian trade and economic ties are progressively being strengthened.
Russia is Armenia's leading partner, with a share of over 30% in the country's foreign trade, and the largest investor in Armenia's economy. Russian capital investments in Armenia exceed $2bln, which is around 40% of the total foreign investments in Armenia's economy. Over 40 leading Russian companies are working on Armenia's market, with some of them being major taxpayers in the country.
In 2021, the bilateral commodity turnover totaled $2.6bln (a 12.8% growth). Russia's exports to Armenia totaled $1.9bln (a 14% growth), and Armenia's imports to Russia, $700mln (a 9.8% growth). The trade surplus totaled $1.2bln.
Last year, the bilateral trade turnover set a record, $4.8bln (an 83.3% growth), with exports totaling $2.8bln and imports $2bln.
Russia imports 98% of Armenia's agricultural products and 78% of alcoholic beverages.
The Russian-Armenian intergovernmental economic cooperation commission is working effectively.
One of Russia's foreign policy priorities in the South Caucasus is facilitating the rapprochement between Armenia and Azerbaijan in line with the trilateral top-level agreements of November 9, 2020, January 11 and November 26, 2021, and October 31, 2022. Russia regards their implementation as a key condition for establishing peace and stability in the region, restoring mutual confidence and full-scale cooperation between Baku and Yerevan.
The Russian peacekeepers contribute to security in their responsibility zone. The peacekeers are facilitating the return of refugees, creating conditions for a peaceful life, demining the areas, mediating the exchange of prisoners and detainees, providing humanitarian aid to Nagorno-Karabakh.
The top priority of Russia's efforts is the unblocking of the regional transport links.
"In cooperation with our Armenian and Azerbaijani partners, within the Trilateral Workgroup co-chaired by the vice-premiers, we are discussing a package of infrastructure projects which would enable railway and highway service and facilitate the establishment of economic ties.
"We are for further activities of the bilateral commission for delimitation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. The border delimitation process is supposed to put an end to border incidents. Russia will provide necessary consultations to the parties," the report reads.
Drafting a peace agreement between Yerevan and Baku is supposed to lay the groundwork for long-term mutually beneficial cooperation. Moscow is willing to spare no effort to facilitate this all-important process in the interests of regional stability. "We view the upcoming talks as a follow-up to our team work to maintain our dialogue and build up our allied relations," the official statement reads.