A private meeting between Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan and President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin took place in St. Petersburg on the sidelines of events held within the frameworks of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).
Welcoming the Armenian Prime Minister, President Putin thanked Nikol Pashinyan for participating in the EAEU and CIS events and positively assessed the results of the meetings. “In general, in my opinion, everything went very well,” the Russian President said, noting that the delegations had worked intensively and prepared “good documents,” all of which had been signed.
Referring to bilateral relations, President Putin stated that cooperation between Armenia and Russia continues to develop. “Our trade turnover has been regularized,” he said, noting that it exceeded USD 11 billion in 2024, while in the first nine months of the current year it amounted to USD 4.5 billion. According to him, this is “a good indicator” that gives reason to expect further growth in the near future.
President Putin also pointed to prospects for cooperation in the energy sector, including nuclear energy, as well as in logistics. Recalling discussions held during previous meetings, he noted that Armenia and Russia can work together on “the restoration of old routes and the creation of new routes that will open the borders of Armenia,” adding that, overall, “everything is going well.”
In response, Prime Minister Pashinyan thanked the Russian President for the invitation and described the two days of discussions within the EAEU and CIS formats as “very eventful.” He noted that important decisions had been taken and characterized the bilateral meeting as “the logical end of my working visit to St. Petersburg.”
Prime Minister Pashinyan also referred to positive developments in the region and expressed gratitude to President Putin for supporting the peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan. “The achieved peace will open up new opportunities for the further development of bilateral relations between Armenia and Russia,” he said.
In this context, the Prime Minister highlighted the resumption of railway transit from Russia to Armenia through the territory of Azerbaijan, describing it as “a truly historic event.” He added that “new opportunities are opening up” for the restoration of other railway sections in Armenia.
Prime Minister Pashinyan specifically mentioned the Ijevan, Yeraskh and Akhurik railway sections, noting that they connect Armenia with Azerbaijan, Nakhichevan and Türkiye. While stressing that “there are no political decisions yet on the reopening of these railways,” he stated that “the situation has matured to the point that it is necessary to carry out preparatory work.”
He also informed President Putin about ongoing constructive bilateral negotiations with the United States regarding the implementation of the TRIPP project, describing them as “truly significant and meaningful changes for our region,” while noting that the initiative includes nuances relevant to Armenian-Russian relations.
Concluding his remarks, Prime Minister Pashinyan thanked President Putin for “the wonderful program and atmosphere” and for the “very high level of organization” of both the working and cultural events.
