On April 1, Nikol Pashinyan, the Prime Minister of Armenia, arrived in the Russian Federation for a working visit. He was welcomed at Moscow’s Vnukovo Airport by Mikhail Galuzin, the Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia. During his visit, a meeting was held at the Kremlin between Prime Minister Pashinyan and Vladimir Putin, the President of the Russian Federation.
President Vladimir Putin welcomed Pashinyan, noting the ongoing internal political processes in Armenia ahead of the upcoming elections. “The main thing is that these internal political processes… should not harm our relations between Russia and Armenia in any way,” Putin stated. He emphasized the historical and civilizational ties between the two countries and affirmed that Russia’s policies will always consider the interests of the Armenian people.
Putin also discussed economic relations, noting that trade turnover between the two countries totaled $6.4 billion in 2025, with agricultural exports such as vegetables, fruits, and wine accounting for $1.2 billion. He contrasted this with Armenia’s trade with Azerbaijan, which stood at $4.9 billion, highlighting the significance of Russia-Armenia economic cooperation. Key sectors, including energy and agriculture, were identified as priorities for further collaboration.
Regarding Armenia’s relations with the European Union, Putin emphasized that membership in both the EU and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) is economically incompatible. He noted differences in standards, such as phytosanitary regulations, and stressed that cooperation with the EU requires long-term alignment efforts. On energy, he pointed out that Europe pays over $600 per 1,000 cubic meters of gas, while Russia supplies Armenia at $177.5, emphasizing the strategic advantage of this arrangement.
Putin addressed security issues, particularly concerning Karabakh, reiterating that Armenia recognized the region as part of Azerbaijan in 2022 and that CSTO intervention during the process was inappropriate. He credited Pashinyan and the Azerbaijani leadership for stabilizing the situation, noting that transport routes are being reopened. Putin also underscored the presence of over two million Armenians in Russia and highlighted the importance of their political participation during Armenian elections.
In response, Prime Minister Pashinyan expressed gratitude for the invitation and the warm reception. He described Armenia-Russia relations as “deep and dynamically developing” and noted that peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan has strengthened ties, including reopening railway connections through Azerbaijan. Pashinyan emphasized transparency in energy projects, including cooperation on new energy technologies and a potential nuclear power plant. He also acknowledged Russia’s role in facilitating the normalization of Armenia-Azerbaijan relations and praised Putin’s support throughout the process.
On domestic political matters, Pashinyan highlighted Armenia’s democratic processes, including municipal and parliamentary elections, and confirmed that only Armenian passport holders are eligible to participate. He expressed confidence that the upcoming elections will further strengthen democracy and bilateral relations with Russia.
On the same day, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk addressed reports of a possible transfer of the Russian concession for Armenia’s railways to Kazakhstan. Speaking to Vesti, he confirmed that Moscow had not been directly consulted on the issue. “No one is discussing the transfer of the concession with the Russian Federation… We only know about it from our colleagues in other countries,” Overchuk stated.
He also commented on Russian business sentiment toward Armenia, noting that discussions about EU accession have led to caution among Russian investors. “We’ve fallen from $12 billion to $6.4 billion in trade turnover for 2025… the talk about the European Union has caused Armenia and Russia to lose more than $5 billion combined,” Overchuk emphasized.
—