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During his working visit to the Russian Federation, President Serzh Sargsyan met on August 23 with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi, press department at the President’s Office reported.

According to the source, the leaders of the two strategic partner States discussed issues of the Armenian-Russian cooperation agenda in both bilateral and multilateral formats, touching upon the implementation of the agreements reached during President Serzh Sargsyan’s official visit to Russia this March.

Presidents Sargsyan and Putin dwelt on the possibilities for developing integration processes within the EAEU and CSTO frameworks, exchanged views on topical international and regional issues, including the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

“Mr Sargsyan, it is a great pleasure to see you.

We are marking some important milestones in our cooperation this year. Twenty-five years ago, we established diplomatic relations, and in a few days’ time, on August 29, we will mark the 20th anniversary of our key agreement on friendship and strategic cooperation. Over this time, Armenia and Russia have done much to give a very solid basis to their relations as two sovereign states.

We continue our intensive political dialogue and our bilateral cooperation in the economy, security, and military affairs. We work actively together within international organizations and in our integration bodies. I am very pleased to see you and have this chance to discuss the full range of issues,” RF President Vladimir Putin said.

“Thank you, Mr President.

It is a great pleasure to see you again. I thank you for the invitation. In a few days’ time, we will be celebrating the 20th anniversary of the signing of our agreement on friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance. These last years have been an intensive period for the development of our interstate relations.

Our bilateral strategic ties and alliance are distinguished by continued dialogue at the highest level, wide-ranging foreign-policy coordination, constructive cooperation in international and regional forums, and fruitful joint efforts in the fields of security, military and military-technical interaction.

Our trade and economic relations keep tending upwards. Bilateral trade rose 15 percent last year, and by close to 24 percent over the first six months of this year. We boast steady contacts between the two governments and parliaments and are consistently developing interregional cooperation and the joint work in the humanitarian area.

The above is indeed catalyzed through regular visits that take place at the top and high levels. This year, the speaker of the Russian Federation Duma and the Secretary of the Security Council visited Armenia, and I made an official visit to Moscow, and our parliament’s speaker and our prime minister visited Moscow, too. Later this year, we will be hosting the Russian Premier, Foreign Minister, and Minister of Trade and Industry Denis Manturov as members of a large delegation of entrepreneurs and government officials to take part in the second international forum on Eurasian cooperation.

Our three most important bilateral commissions – on military-technical, trade and economic, and parliamentary cooperation – held meetings just a few days ago. Russia will host the Days of Armenia this fall. What matters most is that the events to be hosted as part of the Days of Armenia program shall not be limited to the Russian capital, but will take place in 13 different Russian cities.

Mr President, I also want to thank you for Russia’s assistance in putting out forest fires.

Thank you once again for the invitation and a warm reception,” President Serzh Sargsyan said.