Wednesday, March 15 2017 23:05

ArmInfo.The Presidents of Armenia and Russia, Serzh Sargsyan and Vladimir Putin respectively, after a meeting in Moscow adopted a joint statement. The press  service of the Kremlin told ArmInfo.

"The summit, which was the continuation of an intensive political  dialogue, was held on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the  establishment of diplomatic relations between the Russian Federation  and the Republic of Armenia. The presidents particularly noted the  significance of this event, which opened a modern chapter in the  centuries-old history of friendly relations between the peoples of  the two countries. The past quarter century has convincingly shown  that the all-round development and strengthening of interstate  cooperation meet the fundamental interests and aspirations of Russia  and Armenia. At present, Russian- Armenian relations are developing  on the basis of the principles laid down in the Treaty on Friendship,  Cooperation and Mutual Assistance between the Russian Federation and  the Republic of Armenia of August 29, 1997 and the Declaration on  Allied Cooperation between the Russian Federation and the Republic of  Armenia, dated September 26, 2000. While reaffirming their commitment  to these fundamental documents, the Presidents of Russia and Armenia  expressed their mutual desire to develop allied relations and  comprehensive cooperation in the spirit of mutual trust and mutual  understanding", the press service of the Russian leader reports.

The statement reads, that Russia and Armenia will increase mutually  beneficial economic cooperation, promote diversification and increase  the volume of mutual trade, create favorable conditions for the  successful functioning of economic entities of the two countries,  deepen cooperation in the fuel and energy sectors, In the mining and  metallurgical and manufacturing industries, in the field of transport  and communications, as well as the interaction of financial and  banking structures. Within the framework of the Armenian-Russian  intergovernmental commission on economic cooperation, special  attention will be paid to the implementation of the long-term  economic cooperation program between Russia and Armenia for the  period until 2020, as well as joint work on new promising projects in  this field.

"Russia and Armenia are firmly committed to the progressive  development of integration processes in the Eurasian space and  consider the task of strengthening the Eurasian Economic Union as a  priority. The coincidence or proximity of the positions of Russia and  Armenia creates prerequisites for closer foreign policy interaction,  including within the framework of the UN, CIS, OSCE, the Council of  Europe, the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization, other  international organizations and forums in order to strengthen  international and regional security, active participation in the  solution of topical problems of our time. 

At the same time, Russia and Armenia will continue systematic  military and military-technical cooperation on a bilateral basis,  aimed at ensuring regional and international security. The Presidents  of Russia and Armenia reaffirmed their commitment to the settlement  of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict exclusively by peaceful means on the  basis of the principles of non-use of force or threat of use of  force, territorial integrity of states, equality and the right of  peoples to self-determination. The Presidents stressed the importance  of implementing the agreements reached at the summits on  Nagorno-Karabakh held in May and June 2016 in Vienna and St.  Petersburg aimed at preventing escalation of the situation in the  conflict zone.

The Russian Federation and the Republic of Armenia will continue the  dialogue and close coordination of efforts in the field of border  protection, combating terrorism and drug trafficking, cross-border  organized crime, and other new challenges and threats. Yerevan and  Moscow will do their utmost to preserve and strengthen the spiritual  and cultural affinity of the peoples of the two countries, take  additional measures to deepen bilateral humanitarian ties, cooperate  in the fields of science, culture and education, develop tourism,  expand youth and regional exchanges.

Sargsyan and Putin are confident that further development of the  enormous potential of Russian-Armenian relations will contribute  significantly to building a peaceful and prosperous future for the  peoples of the two countries", the joint statement of the two leaders  reads.