On April 3, Foreign Minister Oskanian received Sergey Lavrov, the Foreign Minister of Russian Federation, who is in Armenia on a two-day official visit.

Welcoming the guest, Minister Oskanian stressed the importance of the permanent dialogue established between those who lead the foreign relations processes of the two countries.  He pointed out that this dialogue provides for the deepening of the beneficial cooperation that exists between Armenia and Russia.

Sergey Lavrov expressed his satisfaction with the high level of Armenia-Russia relations, as well as with the productive collaboration in the framework of international organizations. He also pointed out that the wide-ranging bilateral agenda includes cooperation in the spheres of economy, culture, education and tourism.

Within the context of economic relations, the Ministers discussed the ongoing implementation of economic projects proposed the last time the two presidents met.

The Ministers also talked about the prospects of economic progress, noted that there is a significant increase in trade between the two countries since 2006. The two stressed the importance of securing dependable and economically efficient transport communication, which will support the implementation of bilateral and multilateral projects.

Minister Oskanian and Minister Lavrov discussed a number of issues on regional security and stability, expressing their readiness to establish an atmosphere of confidence in the South Caucasus. In this context, the colleagues focused on the latest developments in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement process. The Russian Foreign Minister especially underlined that the mediators’ positions on the conflict settlement coincide, which benefits the resolution process.

The two also exchanged views on the situation surrounding Iran, on Kosovo, on Russian-Georgian relations, as well as on ongoing reforms within the framework of the OSCE and the CIS.