Article by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, “Russia and Armenia – Age-Old Traditions of Friendship and Trust: 25th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations,” published by Novoye Vremya newspaper, Armenia
On April 3, 2017, we celebrate an important event – 25 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Armenia. This date symbolises a new stage in Russian-Armenian centuries-old ties.
We are united by long-standing traditions of friendship and mutual support as well as by cultural and spiritual kinship. Both of our peoples have come through many trials with flying colours, supported each other in sharp turns of history, and fought side by side in the difficult years of the Great Patriotic War.
I am pleased to say that throughout this time we not only respected each other’s national identities but shared generously our achievements. The names of many distinguished Armenians are an inseparable part of our homeland’s historical chronicle. We in Russia held the memory of painter Ivan Aivazovsky, members of the Academy of Sciences Viktor Ambartsumyan, Iosif Orbeli and Leon Orbeli, Admiral Ivan Isakov, Marshals Ivan Bagramyan and Hamazasp Babadzhanyan, and composers Aram Khachaturyan and Michael Tariverdiyev. And this is just a small part of a long list. Today, the Armenian diaspora is actively involved in our country’s public, economic and cultural life. The contribution of the Union of Armenians in Russia and other Armenian public organisations to this constructive work can hardly be overestimated.
There is much to be proud of. During the past 25 years we have managed to increase the invaluable capital of Russian-Armenian friendship that we have inherited. We have brought interstate cooperation to a qualitatively new level and achieved impressive results in key areas of cooperation. Our political dialogue has made progress and our governments, legislatures, ministries and agencies maintain close contact. Intergovernmental commissions for economic and military-technical cooperation as well as the Inter-Parliamentary Commission function successfully. The vast bilateral legal framework includes dozens of documents.
Thus, the relations of alliance and strategic partnership between the two states, based on the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance of August 29, 1997, and the Declaration on Allied Cooperation Oriented to the 21st Century of September 26, 2000, are of a very comprehensive nature. In the Joint Statement approved at the Russian-Armenian summit on March 15, 2017, President Vladimir Putin and President Serzh Sargsyan confirmed their commitment to the “spirit and letter” of these documents and expressed a shared wish to continue to promote comprehensive cooperation between the two countries.
Russia is Armenia’s leading trade and economic partner accounting for about a half of all foreign investment, or nearly $3 billion. About 2,000 businesses with Russian involvement operate in the republic. Despite turbulence in the world economy, last year’s bilateral trade grew 6 per cent to $1.34 billion, partly due to Armenia’s increased agricultural exports to Russia. Agreements reached during talks between the heads of state in Moscow on January 24, 2017, should help promote cooperation and implement promising projects.
New vistas have opened after Armenia joined the Eurasian Economic Union in January 2015. We are working together to adapt the Armenian economy to EAEU rules. We are rendering the necessary financial and technical aid to our Armenian friends.
Exchanges between regions, which involve 70 Russian regions and all of Armenia’s regions, have grown steadily. The programme of region-to-region cooperation for 2016-2021 has been running successfully and Russian-Armenian inter-regional forums are held regularly.
We are also focusing on promoting cultural and humanitarian ties and contacts between people. This will certainly be assisted by the new arrangement for travel to Armenia by Russian citizens using their internal passports, which was introduced in February 2017. The progressive development of inter-church dialogue is making an important contribution to further spiritual rapprochement between the two peoples. This year marks the 300th anniversary of the establishment of the Russian and Novo-Nakhichevan eparchies by the Armenian Apostolic Church.
Productive cooperation between diplomatic services remains an important component of the multifaceted Russian-Armenian partnership. I highly value the strong and confidential dialogue with my Armenian counterpart Edward Nalbandian. Our talks in Moscow on February 21-23, 2017, confirmed the similarities of our approaches to the key issues of our times.
We cooperate closely at leading multilateral organisations. Jointly with Yerevan, we help the CIS and the CSTO tap their considerable potential. We promote our foreign policy coordination within the UN, the OSCE, the Council of Europe, and the BSEC. We welcome Armenia’s contribution to the common effort of rendering humanitarian aid to the people in Syria.
Russia is actively involved in Nagorno-Karabakh settlement. Jointly with the United States and France – the other co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – we are helping the sides to stably overcome the conflict. The trilateral summit, convened at the initiative of the President of Russia, in St Petersburg last summer was dedicated to addressing this task. A Nagorno-Karabakh settlement is discussed in detail by President Vladimir Putin at his bilateral meetings with the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan as well as during numerous contacts between foreign ministers. We have managed to come to terms on many issues, but several, if the most difficult, issues still remain. However, it is clear that the results of this work depend primarily on each side’s own political will and on their willingness to display flexibility and compromise.
Today we are faced with large-scale common tasks to ensure the prosperity of Russia and Armenia and preserve peace, stability and security in the South Caucasus. Along with our Armenian friends, we continue to work to attain these goals for the benefit of our peoples. The key to success is a reliable foundation for Russian-Armenian cooperation and the feelings of sincere friendship, respect and mutual trust that link our peoples.
