OREANDA-NEWS. Vladimir Putin and President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan discussed pressing issues of bilateral cooperation.

PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA VLADIMIR PUTIN: Mr Sargsyan, welcome to Moscow and thank you for coming here on the eve of May 9. Congratulations once again to you and to the people of Armenia on the coming Victory Day.

Since my visit to Armenia, a great deal has been done to implement the agreements we reached then. I am happy to have the opportunity to compare notes today, to see what else needs to be done and in what areas we should speed up our efforts.

In any case, I am happy to say that Russia remains Armenia’s leading trade and economic partner, and last year our trade went up by 11 percent compared to 2012 (10.6%). This year we are maintaining the growth rate, and Russia has retained its position as the leading investor in Armenia’s economy.

I am very happy to see you. Welcome once again.

PRESIDENT OF ARMENIA SERZH SARGSYAN: Thank you, Mr Putin. Allow me to thank you for your invitation to visit Moscow within the framework of the CSTO summit meeting, for this opportunity to discuss with you the pressing issues in our relations. Once again, I would like to congratulate you and the people of Russia on the Great Victory.

I am happy that Russian–Armenian strategic relations and our partnership are developing dynamically. We will continue to make every effort to further expand these relations.

The agreements reached during your state visit and during our meeting in Moscow on September 3 have undoubtedly enriched our agenda. The implementation of these agreements will undoubtedly create new opportunities for close cooperation in all spheres: in foreign policy, in military technology and the economy.

We are prepared to work actively. I believe this is in line with the historical traditions of friendship between our nations and our people’s will.

I am happy to be in Moscow today. Thank you for the invitation and for the conversation we had. Thank you.