President Armen Sarkissian received Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his delegation.
“You came to Armenia during a crisis period. There are big problems in the economic sphere, the post-war situation is difficult, our problems are also psychological, unfortunately, there is also the coronavirus and many other issues. In general, the situation in the field of foreign policy is also difficult,” the Armenian President said.
President Sarkissian thanked the Russian Foreign Minister, first of all, for everything he has been doing for Armenia and the region during all these years. The President of Armenia asked to convey the gratitude of our people to the President of the Russian Federation, especially for his support during these difficult days.
“It does not matter where Armenians live, they know that if it were not for your efforts and Vladimir Vladimirovich, we would continue to lose young lives today,” said President Sarkissian. “In the first days of the war we knew that all the efforts of the leadership of the Russian Federation, personally the President, were aimed at stopping them. Once again we got convinced that true friendship becomes apparent in difficult times.”
The President of Armenia said that today we have two problems, which must not only be solved. Besides, he said, we must be consistent so that they do not become a bigger problem. “First, it’s important that according to the joint statement, the cessation of hostilities is not only implemented, but continues in the coming years,” said the President.
“It is very important for Armenia, it is of vital importance. And the second, which worries me a lot, is connected with stability in our country. Despite the difficulties, the crisis situation, it is always possible to find solutions. Our children, friends and non-relatives will look back on how Armenia is coming out of this situation. If it comes out with dignity, united, then we can say that we are a strong nation,” the President added.
Expressing gratitude for the meeting, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov noted: “The negotiations that are taking place here today allow us to consider all the spheres of our relations, to agree on the issue of how to deepen them, how to make them more effective, first of all, for our citizens.”
We are grateful, and President Putin has asked to convey gratitude to you and the vast majority of ordinary citizens for the appreciation of the November 9 joint statement adopted by the Prime Minister of Armenia, the President of Azerbaijan and Russia. As you said, it made it possible to stop the war. For the first time, after so many agreements, the ceasefire really works, because there is a ceasefire monitoring mechanism,” Lavrov said.
He noted that by Putin’s order, an interdepartmental center for humanitarian response is being set up, which will help solve the humanitarian issues of the population as soon as possible. “We are actively involving international organizations in the issue, the Red Cross and the UN organizations have been working for a long time. “
The President of the Republic and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation also touched upon other issues on the agenda of the Armenian-Russian cooperation.
