Pashinyan expresses confidence in further fruitful cooperation, growth of trade with Russia

YEREVAN. Aug 24 (Interfax) - Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has affirmed his country's solid relations with Russia despite problems in regional affairs.

"We have very solid and strong relations, and I have no doubt about further fruitful cooperation. Of course, we have very serious regional problems, we always discuss these problems with our Russian colleagues and I am sure we will address them today, as well," Pashinyan said at a meeting with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin in the Armenian resort town of Tsaghkadzor, on the sidelines of a meeting of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council.

The trade turnover between Armenia and Russia reached $5 billion in 2022, Pashinyan said.

"The growth continues, and we have topped $3 billion this year. Hopefully, last year's level will be surpassed at the end of this year," he said.

He also thanked Mishustin for solving the problems at the Verkhny Lars checkpoint on the Georgian-Russian border.

"I would like to personally thank you, because you promised to open additional lanes at the Verkhny Lars checkpoint at our previous meeting in Sochi. This has been done, and it is a very important and significant event in our relations, because there used to be lines stretching many kilometers there, and now of course we are grateful to you and our Georgian colleagues. We are very happy with our cooperation," Pashinyan said.