ArmInfo.Trade turnover between Russia and Armenia demonstrated impressive results last year, reaching $1.6 billion. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated this at a joint press conference with his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan following talks held in Yerevan on May 21.
"This is over a third of Armenia's entire foreign trade. The Russian Federation remains Armenia's first trade and investment partner. Moreover, 96% of trade payments are made in national currencies - rubles and drams. Russian economic operators traditionally are key taxpayers and employers in Armenia. We welcomed the efforts of the Armenian authorities to ensure the legitimate interests of Russian businesses in the republic. We are confident that this will contribute to the flow of Russian investments to such important areas as agriculture, transport, logistics, and the mining industry," the Russian Foreign Minister noted.
He also highly praised the activities of the Russian-Armenian intergovernmental commission. Speaking about the expansion of mutual diplomatic presence, Lavrov emphasized the continuation of preparations for the opening of the Russian Consulate General in Kapan.
Touching upon cooperation in the security sphere, he said that Moscow still views the security sphere as one of the most important dimensions of the alliance. "This year we celebrate the 30th anniversary of the conclusion of the Agreement on the Russian military base in Armenia and the 10th anniversary of the Russian-Armenian Humanitarian Response Center," Lavrov stated.
