10 Mar 2022 19:27

Russian, Armenian FMs discussing bilateral relations at meeting in Antalya

ANTALYA. March 10 (Interfax) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is holding a meeting with his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan in Antalya on Thursday.

"I am very glad that we will be able to exchange views on all the issues on our agenda, especially as part of preparations for the Armenian prime minister's visit to Russia, which will take place in early April. I am confident that it will serve to further promote our allied relations," Lavrov said.

For his part, Mirzoyan emphasized that face-to-face talks are very important in bilateral contacts.

"We haven't seen each other for a long time. We have many things piled up. We should discuss various issues on the bilateral agenda, and there are new problems that have arisen as well. We need to discuss them and consult with each other," the Armenian minister said.

Later, the press service for the Armenian Foreign Ministry said that the foreign ministers of the two countries have discussed the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh and the process of improving Armenian-Turkish relations.

"Mirzoyan and Lavrov discussed a substantive agenda of Armenian-Russian cooperation and further strengthening of allied relations at the meeting. The parties said they are pleased with the level of political dialogue between the two countries and active contacts at the top level," the press service said.

Besides, the ministers "discussed in detail closer cooperation and increased efficiency within the CSTO [Collective Security Treaty Organization], EAEU [Eurasian Economic Union], CIS [Commonwealth of Independent States] and other international platforms."

The parties touched on the implementation of the agreements on Karabakh, and highlighted the importance of resuming peace talks on a comprehensive settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh crisis as part of the mandate of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Minsk Group co-chairs.

"The Armenian foreign minister briefed Lavrov on the situation resulting from the protracted violation of the ceasefire by the Azerbaijani Armed Forces in Nagorno-Karabakh and on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. He also stressed the importance of easing tensions and steps required to prevent incidents. The parties also discussed the process of normalizing relations between Armenia and Turkey," the Armenian Foreign Ministry said.