Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan today met with RF Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

The Information and Public Relations Department of the Prime Minister’s Office informs.

Welcoming the Russian Foreign Minister, Prime Minister Pashinyan said:

“Dear Sergey Viktorovich,

Let me welcome you to Yerevan. Earlier today we discussed in an expanded format a wide range of issues on our bilateral agenda. Of course, the most important issue for us now is the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh. We must make decisions on many issues, and the most important is the humanitarian aspect; we need to ensure the return of Artsakh residents to their homes. We can see already quite good dynamics of people returning to Artsakh. In fact, the Russian peacekeepers have taken up the planned positions; they provide security, and this is extremely important in terms of ensuring the safety of the residents of Nagorno-Karabakh. But there are still issues that have not been resolved: how will we ensure the implementation of the right of residents of several districts to return, who will ensure the safety of our compatriots, and in which manner will this be implemented? These are, of course, issues that are on our agenda, and we must discuss and take decisions on this matter.”

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated in his remarks:

“Dear Nikol Vovayevich,

Thank you very much for the warm welcome. Our delegation arrived in Yerevan in line with the agreement reached with President Vladimir Putin, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin in order to review all areas of cooperation and the prospects of our allied and strategic relations. Of course, in the foreground we have to address issues related to the problems faced in Nagorno-Karabakh.

The statement of November 9 allows us to address all these issues on the basis of the agreements fixed on paper and signed by the three leaders. Above all, I mean the return of refugees and the solution of humanitarian problems in the current situation. We are committed to this, you have already said.

Thank you for appreciating the role that our peacekeepers are playing in the region in terms of both ensuring security as the main component of their mandate and providing everyday assistance to repatriates in need of humanitarian support.

In addition to the role played by peacekeepers, the Interdepartmental Center for Humanitarian Response, which is being established under President Vladimir Putin’s executive order, will specifically deal with all these issues. As I already told you, we are exerting consistent efforts to get the international organizations of the UN system involved in this process by encouraging them to more actively and proactively show their capabilities and support the international efforts of the ICRC, which is now working in Karabakh.

The entire range of our relations will be reviewed during this visit by specialized deputy prime ministers – the ministers of health and emergency situations of our countries. Earlier today you met with the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation. Director General of the Russian Railways Mr. Belozerov is in Yerevan too. I am convinced that following narrow-profile talks we will have a comprehensive and positive idea of the situation, which will help us advance our bilateral relations and as we sincerely want, back your efforts to stabilize the situation in Armenia and resolve the problems with Nagorno-Karabakh.”

Nikol Pashinyan and Sergey Lavrov discussed a number of issues related to the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh and the agenda of Armenian-Russian cooperation.