The Azerbaijani president reiterated that Russia and Turkey had set up a joint monitoring center in the district of Aghdam in Nagorno-Karabakh
BAKU, October 2. /TASS/. Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev thinks that Russia and Turkey play an important role in the development and stability of the South Caucasus in the post-war period.
"Today I think about Turkey and Russia as two neighbors of Azerbaijan, and one of them is a neighbor of Armenia, [that play a] very important role in the stability, security and future development. As you probably know, there was recently a meeting between presidents of two countries. Among other issues they discussed the situation between Armenia and Azerbaijan. We consider the role of both countries as a very positive stabilizing role. I think this is the bulk of the new regional cooperation configuration," the Azerbaijani leader said in an interview with Spain’s EFE news agency. The text of the interview was published on Saturday on the AzerTAC new agency’s website.
The Azerbaijani president reiterated that Russia and Turkey had set up a joint monitoring center in the district of Aghdam in Nagorno-Karabakh. At the same time, he noted that Russian peacekeepers undertake measures to protect peace in the areas inhabited by Armenians. "So, new realities already are in place. Every country has to take into account these realities," he said.
In the fall of 2020, the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh escalated with armed clashes occurring on the disputed territory. On November 9, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan signed a joint statement on a complete ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh. According to the document, the Azerbaijani and Armenian sides would maintain the positions that they had held, a number of regions would be controlled by Azerbaijan, and Russian peacekeepers would be deployed to the region along the line of engagement and the Lachin corridor.
WHILE NOT THE FIRST REGION ON YOUR TRAVEL BUCKET LIST, THIS BLACK WOMAN AUTHOR WHO RESIDES IN EASTERN EUROPE SHARES WHAT THREE OF HER FAVORITE COUNTRIES HAVE TO OFFER GLOBETROTTERS.
MAPODILE/GETTY IMAGES
BY LIA MILLER·UPDATED SEPTEMBER 17, 2021
I know. Believe me, I know. You are probably thinking, Eastern Europe as a tourist destination? Is she for real? Well, I’m here to tell you that yes, Eastern Europe is a globetrotter’s delight and worthy of being on your travel bucket list. Sista to sista, I wouldn’t lead you astray. I am speaking from experience as a self-proclaimed world traveler who has journeyed to over 60 countries and counting, lived in nine, and currently resides in Armenia, one of the countries on this list. Believe me, I know what I’m talking about.
The confusion is understood, though. Of all the places to pick up and go to, especially during a global pandemic, this part of Europe might not initially peak one’s interest. But if you are looking to experience distinct types of cultural travel, taste new wines, consume one-of-a-kind culinary delights, take in some stunning landscapes and enjoy something slightly off the beaten path, Eastern Europe provides that.
Check out three of my favorites destinations from this distinct part of the world, what they have to offer Black women with wanderlust, and why they may be the next best travel destinations for you.
Armenia
Known For: Delicious food, legendary hospitality, ancient (religious) history
What Black Girls Will Love: Breathtaking views, excellent wine, and dollars really stretch here
Armenia, a small nation nestled in the heart of the Caucasus region of Eastern Europe, is a travel destination not to be overlooked. It boasts a rich cultural heritage, ancient sights and ruins, delicious cuisine, and legendary hospitality. As the first country to adopt Christianity, Armenia built the first-ever Christian cathedral known as “Echmiadzin,” which still stands and is an active place of worship today. For those up for a little adventure, you can take a ride on the longest aerial tramway in the world at 5.8 km or 3.6 miles overlooking a beautiful gorge and the Vorotan river valley among other noteworthy sites in Armenia’s southern region. For the foodies, Armenia does not disappoint with a culinary tradition that utilizes a wide array of spices, herbs, and wildflowers, many of which are indigenous to the region. Armenia’s famous “lavash” pita bread can be found on the UNESCO “Intangible Cultural Heritage” list.
TEHRAN, Oct. 02 (MNA) – The Iranian envoy to Yerevan and the Armenian Justice Minister discussed ways to extradite Iranian convicts to their country, and cooperation in the field of crime prevention were discussed by
Abbas Badakhshan Zohuri, Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Yerevan met and held talks with Karen Aresi Andreasyan, the Justice Minister of the Republic of Armenia.
During the meeting, the two sides discussed various issues such as the transfer of Iranian convicts to their respective country, acceleration of the judicial process of the cases, and cooperation in the field of crime prevention.
They also expressed satisfaction with the development of friendly relations between the two countries.
During the meeting, the two sides also discussed some legal issues related to the economic activity of Iranians in Armenia.
It is worth mentioning that on September 15, the Iranian embassy in Yerevan announced that six Iranian prisoners were extradited from Armenia to the country.
Moscow, Oct 2 (EFE).- Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev says he is willing to sit down with prime minister Nikol Pashinyan to normalize relations with Armenia, but ruled out a special status or autonomy for Armenians living in Karabakh after the end of the 44-day war for control of the disputed territory, he told Efe in an interview.
This week marked one year since the beginning of the war in Nagorno-Karabakh and the Azerbaijani president, in power since 2003, spoke by videoconference from one of the halls of the Presidential Palace in Baku as the winner of the conflict, which saw Yerevan lose control of almost 70% of the territories it controlled in the disputed region for 30 years.
Question: Are you ready for dialogue with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan?
Answer: Dialogue and contacts have begun at the level of deputy prime ministers of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Russia, and this format is dedicated to issues related to the opening of communications. Recently, on the margins of the UN General Assembly, foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan met for the first time since the war ended. And I think it was very constructive and promising.
Our position remains unchanged since the war ended. We want to establish normal relations with Armenia based on mutual recognition of territorial integrity of both countries. We are ready to start immediately the process of delimitation of our borders and of course after that process is ended, demarcation.
We also expressed willingness to start to work together with Armenia on a future peace agreement. All these initiatives have been articulated by me and other Azerbaijani officials many times but unfortunately they have not yet been positively responded to by the Armenian side. So our position is unchanged and there are certain steps but I think during this year we would have made much bigger progress.
Q: You don’t have any intention to sit down today with PM Pashinyan?
A: I am ready and I already expressed this position. If the Armenian side is ready I am also ready. We had one meeting that was in trilateral format at the invitation of Russian president Vladimir Putin at the beginning of this year. And I am ready to talk to Mr. Pashinyan anytime when he is ready. So I am open for the discussions and I think that could be also a good indicator that the war is over and that page has been turned. This is very important, because still we see and we hear in Armenia in statements from the political establishment that demonstrate terms of “revanchism”. The terms of future plans to regain back territory which belongs to us by history and international law.
Therefore the willingness, the serious willingness of the Armenian government, not only by words, statements but actions, will demonstrate that the war is over and we are moving towards the period of peace.
US scientists David Julius and Ardem Patapoutian on Monday won the Nobel Medicine Prize for discoveries on receptors for temperature and touch, the jury said.
“The groundbreaking discoveries… by this year’s Nobel Prize laureates have allowed us to understand how heat, cold and mechanical force can initiate the nerve impulses that allow us to perceive and adapt to the world,” the Nobel jury said.
“In our daily lives we take these sensations for granted, but how are nerve impulses initiated so that temperature and pressure can be perceived? This question has been solved by this year’s Nobel Prize laureates.”
Julius, a professor at the University of California in San Francisco and Patapoutian, a professor at Scripps Research in California, will share the Nobel Prize cheque for 10 million Swedish kronor ($1.1 million, one million euros).
Last year, the award went to three virologists for the discovery of the Hepatitis C virus.
While the 2020 award was handed out as the pandemic raged, this is the first time the entire selection process has taken place under the shadow of Covid-19.
Nominations close each year at the end of January, and at that time last year the novel coronavirus was still largely confined to China.
The Nobel season continues on Tuesday with the award for physics and Wednesday with chemistry, followed by the much-anticipated prizes for literature on Thursday and peace on Friday before the economics prize winds things up on Monday, October 11.
Lucas Zelarayan has never been to Armenia, but that'll change soon as he prepares to make his debut for Armenia's national team.
Zelarayan, who was born and raised in Argentina, has Armenian heritage through his father. He always knew about those roots and the Armenian federation was well aware, too, gauging his interest in a potential switch a few years ago when the attacker was playing for Liga MX's Tigres UANL. But he wasn't ready at the time.
Armenia called again and this time got a different answer from the Columbus Crew's star midfielder. They said they'd get him a passport and do the paperwork if he wanted. After talking it over with his family, Zelarayan made the decision to accept a call-up. They play two World Cup qualifiers this window, traveling to face Iceland (Oct. 8) and Romania (Oct. 11).
Zelarayan didn't shy away from the fact that the decision is rooted in soccer rationale, but he's excited to learn more about the country.
“I’ve never been to Armenia before, so in that sense I don’t have a connection," Zelarayan said through a translator. "But I’ve known about my last name being Armenian and my heritage, so while it is about the footballing side of things, there’s a real family connection.”
Columbus knew of this possibility when they signed him, president & GM Tim Bezbatchenko said, and are supportive of his decision. The Crew don't compete during this international window but MLS, unlike many other leagues around the world, historically doesn't completely pause their domestic schedule for international breaks. So the 29-year-old could miss matches in the future, all while adding intercontinental travel to his plate.
Armenia are in UEFA World Cup qualifying Group J, headlined by Germany in first place. They currently sit second, one point ahead of Romania and two ahead of North Macedonia. If they hold this place over their last four matches, they'll advance to a playoff to qualify for the Qatar 2022 World Cup. Armenia have never qualified for the World Cup.
Zelarayan has 13 goals and eight assists in 42 matches with the Crew after joining via a club-record transfer from Tigres ahead of the 2020 season. He led Columbus to an MLS Cup title in his first season, picking up MLS Cup MVP presented by Audi and Newcomer of the Year honors as well. He never represented Argentina (or Armenia) at youth or senior levels.
“Realistically, I know I don’t have much of a chance to make the Argentina national team," Zelarayan admitted. "This is a great opportunity to play World Cup qualifiers in UEFA, going up against great players I haven’t had the chance to play. That’ll just benefit me in the long run.”
Zelarayan will also have the opportunity to play alongside Roma attacker Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Armenia's captain and talisman.
Varazdat Lalayan highlighted Armenia’s prowess in the heavier categories of men’s weightlifting by rounding off the European Junior and Under-23 Championships in Rovaniemi in Finland with three continental records.
The 22-year-old missed his final two attempts but by then he had already bettered the European under-23 super-heavyweight records across the board with a snatch of 206 kilograms, a clean and jerk of 241kg and a phenomenal total of 447kg.
That was 6kg more than Ali Davoudi of Iran made in taking silver at the Tokyo Olympic Games in August.
Second-placed Eduard Ziaziulin of Belarus, who holds two European junior records, was 16kg behind Lalayan and the bronze medallist Oleh Hanzenko of Ukraine was beaten by 69kg.
Hanzenko’s team mate Bohdan Hoza had arguably the outstanding single performance of the week when he broke his own junior world record for the 109kg snatch, making 190kg on his way to victory.
Ukraine’s junior world champion Kamila Konotop, who was fifth in Tokyo, made 95-114-209 in winning the women’s 55kg.
Ukraine finished third in the combined junior and under-23 medals table behind Russia and Armenia, with the ever-improving Italian team fourth.
Armenia won the men’s 81kg, 89kg, 109kg and over-109kg in the under-23 event.
Gor Minasyan, Lalayan’s 26-year-old national team mate, would be the best super-heavyweight in the world but for the presence of Lasha Talakhadze, the unstoppable multiple champion and world record-holder from Georgia.
Lasha was in Finland to train and as a special guest of the organisers, but he was not there to see Lalayan’s effort as he was being taken on a visit around "the official hometown of Santa Claus", as Rovaniemi sells itself.
In the junior super-heavyweights Enzo Kuworge of The Netherlands made it look easy with six from six.
Kuworge, who totalled 409kg when he finished sixth in Tokyo, did not need to lift anywhere near as much as he comfortably added the European title to the world junior title he won in May.
The 20-year-old made 175-210-385.
There were rare gold medals for Serbia, via Radmila Zagorac in the junior women’s 45kg, and Norway, whose Solfrid Koanda took the under-23 women’s super-heavyweights.
Athletes from Israel, Czech Republic, Finland, Denmark and Slovakia made rare visits to the podium through the week and Britain took gold and bronze in the under-23 women’s 55kg through Fraer Morrow and Catrin Jones.
But apart from Italy – which has improved from ninth to fifth to fourth in the past three Junior and Under-23 Championships – the dominant nations were from eastern Europe.
Armenia had five winners in the juniors, three men and two women, while Russia had four.
Artur Babayan, with a 365kg total in the junior men’s 96kg, Evgeniia Guseva with 103-127-230 in the junior women’s 71kg, and Daria Akhmerova, with 245kg in the under-23 women’s 87kg, were arguably the top performers for Russia.
For Italy, Giulia Imperio set a clean and jerk continental junior record of 101kg as she won the junior women’s 49kg with 82-101-183, and Giulia Miserendino took the Junior 64kg with 100-120-220.
Their junior men’s winners were Sergio Massida at 61kg with 126-154-280 and Cristiano Ficco at 89kg with 158-196-348.
There was a poignant victory for the Romanian Bianca Dumitrescu, who was presented with a unique Fair Play Award by Lasha and Santa.
Dumitrescu should have competed in the under-23 women’s 45kg, where she was a strong medal contender, but was temporarily in isolation with the entire Romanian team after a false COViD-19 positive for a team mate.
The amended result of the false positive was not provided in time for her to make the official weigh-in.
Instead she lifted alone between sessions, but her results could not count.
Milan Mihajlovic, secretary general of the European Weightlifting Federation, praised the "correct and impeccable behaviour in the spirit of the sport" of Dumitrescu and the Romanian Weightlifting Federation.
Ex-President of Armenia Robert Kocharian harshly criticized the current authorities. During his press conference, which lasted about two hours, he accused Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of ill-considered steps that led to the war in Karabakh and eventual defeat. Moreover, he suggested that the war ended in accordance with hidden agreements with the enemy.
The most important theses voiced during the press conference of the former president, acting in the role of irreconcilable opposition to the current authorities.
Op-ed: does Armenian parliament have any real power?
Will upcoming elections in Armenia just be a repeat of the past?
Op-ed: ‘Blood, toil, tears and sweat’ – solving the Armenian political crisis
The Armenian authorities, with their ill-considered steps, created favorable conditions for Azerbaijan to resolve the Karabakh conflict by means of violent conflict
The negotiation process was stalled by the conflicting statements of the Armenian side. This aroused mistrust on the part of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs [mediators of peace talks before the start of the Karabakh war in autumn 2020 – JAMnews]. The impression is that the Armenian authorities want to avoid substantive negotiations
The army was discredited, the government of the country was chaotic, relations with Russia and the CSTO military bloc operating under its auspices were ruined.
The authorities did everything to ensure that Armenia was isolated before the start of the war
In this situation, it was clear to the Azerbaijani authorities that there would be no better conditions for resolving the conflict by force, and the risks for starting and conducting a war for him were minimal.
The Armenian leadership did everything to involve Turkey in this conflict:
“If the Armenian authorities were Turkish agents, they would do the same to achieve this goal”.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s call for the formation of volunteer units during the war was a signal for Azerbaijan that Armenia no longer has resources and military pressure on the front can be increased
It is not armies that are fighting, but states, which is why the authorities mobilize all resources for victory during hostilities. But the supreme commander-in-chief of Armenia [Prime Minister Pashinyan] did not mobilize all human and material resources. The mobilization failed. This is the first reason for defeat
The war is waged by the state, not just the armed forces. The army was left without political support during the hostilities
The Armenian authorities want to place all the blame for the defeat on the army but it is necessary to understand who made the fundamental mistakes. And it’s time for the generals to speak, otherwise all the blame will be laid on them.
The country’s authorities continue to evade clarifications on a number of issues related to the war. The accusations against them remain unanswered. An in-depth investigation is needed
It is very likely that the war began due to the shortsightedness of the Armenian authorities, but it may have ended already in accordance with the agreements with the enemy.
The Armenian authorities stopped talking about Nagorno-Karabakh. The solution of all issues related to Karabakh is deliberately shifted to Russia:
“Armenia has ceased to be the guarantor of the security of Karabakh, moreover, it seems that the country’s authorities seem to be washing their hands”.
Soon the society will connect all issues on Karabakh with the Russian side, including all unfavorable decisions
Baku announces that it has finally solved the Karabakh issue. What will happen if Azerbaijan abandons the mandate of the peacekeepers in Karabakh after the end of their mission [in 2025]
It is impossible to talk about the beginning of an era of peace when you cannot establish it in your country:
“We are talking about an era of peace in the region [Prime Minister Pashinyan stated this as the plans of his government]. The question arises: “Seriously?” […] What are you [addressing the Armenian Prime Minister] to make such statements? Funny. You are not sitting at the negotiating table, you are at this table. You are being discussed without your participation. You have ceased to be a subject of negotiations, you are an object”.
It is not very convenient to negotiate on your knees, and you cannot negotiate with the one who mocks you [talking about the President of Azerbaijan].
Serious processes are taking place in the South Caucasus, and they are not in favor of Armenia
You cannot beg for the normalization of relations with Turkey. The Prime Minister of Armenia needs this only to maintain power [Nikol Pashinyan spoke of his readiness to normalize relations with Turkey]. It will be a one-sided game, and it will be the gates of Armenia:
“We will be in the role of a supplicant. This has never happened before. At one time, they themselves turned to me as the President of Armenia, trying to create a commission. All these letters are there. You can see for yourself in what tone we then answered them. “
Turkey poses a danger to Armenia, obviously a clash of interests, but this does not mean that it is necessary to completely abandon the dialogue with Ankara.
The ultimate goal of the current Armenian authorities is to retain power
The opposition, represented by the Hayastan parliamentary bloc (Armenia) [Robert Kocharian heads it, does not take part in its work himself, renounced his parliamentary mandate] will continue to fight for a change of power. This is a process, and all the available tools for a change of power will be used:
“Yes, we will fight, we will also fight in the streets, but the necessary conditions must be ripe for this. We need to work with the people throughout Armenia, we need to convince the people. “
If the bloc fails to organize a street fight, this will mean that it has not been possible to find the right words to speak with society, or people have accepted, reconciled with what is happening.
Nikol Pashinyan has always presented himself as an opposition politician, he was the leader of the 2018 velvet revolution, which brought him to power. Under pressure from the society that supported the revolution, the parliamentary majority approved his candidacy for the post of Prime Minister of Armenia.
The future prime minister made his first serious steps in the political arena in 2007, founding the social and political initiative “Alternative”. In the 2008 parliamentary elections, he was number one on the list of the Impeachment bloc, which sought the resignation of President Robert Kocharian and Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan. But the block failed to overcome the barrier to entry.
In the 2008 presidential elections, Nikol Pashinyan represented the interests of presidential candidate Levon Ter-Petrosyan [the first president of Armenia, resigned in 1998]. On March 1, 2008, after the dispersal of a demonstration of those who disagreed with the election results and the death of 10 people in the events, Pashinyan went underground for a year and four months due to charges of organizing mass riots.
On July 1, 2010, he voluntarily appeared in the prosecutor’s office, was arrested and sentenced to seven years. One year and 11 months later, he fell under an amnesty timed to coincide with the 20th anniversary of Armenia’s independence. Political analysts believe that the authorities were forced to take this step under pressure from international structures. Immediately after coming to power, the Pashinyan government revived the so-called “March 1” case.
On July 28, 2018, Robert Kocharian was arrested. The former president of Armenia was accused of overthrowing the constitutional order. This was related to the events of March 1, 2008. Kocharian spent over a year in prison. As a result, he was acquitted on the basis of the decision of the Constitutional Court on the unlawfulness of the accusation.
Americans Julius and Patapoutian win Nobel medicine prize
Discoveries of receptors for temperature, touch recognised
Discoveries could pave the way for new pain-killers
STOCKHOLM, Oct 4 (Reuters) – American scientists David Julius and Ardem Patapoutian won the 2021 Nobel Prize for Medicine on Monday for the discovery of receptors in the skin that sense temperature and touch and could pave the way for new pain-killers.
Their work, carried out independently, has helped show how humans convert the physical impact from heat or touch into nerve impulses that allow us to "perceive and adapt to the world around us," the Nobel Assembly at Sweden's Karolinska Institute said.
"This knowledge is being used to develop treatments for a wide range of disease conditions, including chronic pain."
Patapoutian, who was born in 1967 to Armenian parents in Lebanon and moved to Los Angeles in his youth, learnt of the news from his father as he had been out of contact by phone.
"In science many times it is the things we take for granted that are of high interest," he said of winning the more than century-old prize, which is worth 10 million Swedish crowns ($1.15 million).
He is credited for finding the celular mechanism and the underlying gene that translates a mechanical force on our skin into an electric nerve signal.
"(For) us being in the field of sense, touch and pain, this was the big elephant in room where we knew they existed, we knew they did something very different," he said.
Patapoutian is a professor at Scripps Research, La Jolla, California, having previously done research at the University of California, San Francisco, and California Institute of Technology, Pasadena.
New York-born Julius, 65, is a Professor at University of California, San Francisco (UCFS), after earlier work at Columbia University, in New York.
His findings were inspired by his fascination for how natural products can be used to probe biological function and he used capsaicin, the molecule that makes chili peppers spicy by simulating a false sensation of heat, to understand the skin's sense of temperature.
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Thomas Perlmann, Secretary of the Nobel Assembly and the Nobel Committee, announces the winners of the 2021 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine David Julius and Ardem Patapoutian (seen on the screen) during a press conference at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden October 4, 2021. T TT News Agency/Jessica Gow via REUTERS
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Julius hopes his work will help identify new strategies for treating chronic pain syndromes.
"We all know there's a real lack of drugs and approaches to treat chronic pain," Julius said in a 2017 video posted on Youtube by UCSF. "I think we need some new insights and new ideas for treating pain, pharmacologically and other ways, and I think our work will contribute to that."
Jan Adams, chief science officer at German drugmaker Gruenenthal GmbH, which markets pain relief skin patches and creams based on the TRPV1 capsaicin receptor discovered by Julius, said his work had "opened up a whole new field of research for new non-opioid pain therapies".
SURPRISE AND SHOCK
Both laureates were caught off guard, according to the committee. Professor Thomas Perlmann, Secretary-General for the Nobel Assembly and the Nobel Committee for Physiology or Medicine, described them as "incredibly happy and as far as I could tell very surprised and a little bit shocked."
The prestigious Nobel prizes, for achievements in science, literature and peace, were created and funded in the will of Swedish dynamite inventor and businessman Alfred Nobel. They have been awarded since 1901, with the economics prize first handed out in 1969.
The Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine, shared in equal parts this year by the two laureates, often lives in the shadow of the Nobels for literature and peace, and their sometimes more widely known recipients.
But medicine has been thrust into the spotlight by the COVID-19 pandemic, and some scientists had suggested those who developed coronavirus vaccines could be rewarded this year or in coming years.
The pandemic continues to haunt the Nobel ceremonies, which are usually full of old-world pomp and glamour. The banquet in Stockholm has been postponed for a second successive year amid lingering worries about the virus and international travel. read more
($1 = 8.7272 Swedish crowns)
Ludwig Burger reported from Frankfurt, Additional reporting Terje Solsvik in Oslo and by Niklas Pollard, Johan Ahlander, Simon Johnson, Supantha Mukherjee and Anna Ringstrom in Stockholm, Editing by Timothy Heritage
This year, Putin and Pashinyan met in person three times, and they spoke over the phone more than ten times
YEREVAN, October 4./TASS/. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan plans to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin within the next few days, Pashinyan’s Press Secretary Mane Gevorgyan told TASS on Monday.
"A meeting of Pashinyan and Putin is planned in the coming days, we will inform about the dates at a later time," she said.
Preparations are underway for an in-person meeting of Vladimir Putin and Nikol Pashinyan, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said earlier on Monday. "[Pashinyan’s visit to Russia] is expected. A personal meeting [with Putin] is being prepared," the Kremlin spokesman said.
This year, Putin and Pashinyan met in person three times, and they spoke over the phone more than ten times.
Also on Monday, Russian Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko met with President of the National Assembly of Armenia Alen Simonyan, saying that these active contacts set the pace to the entire range of Russian-Armenian relations.