Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan met with several dozen members of the Association of Armenian Lawyers in Moscow. Greeting the audience, the Premier said, “You know that we are going through a very challenging period when there are great concerns and questions. This meeting is especially important for you, I mean for the Armenians in Moscow, Russia and worldwide, to raise questions looking into my eyes and for me to be able to answer your questions.”

Nikol Pashinyan first referred to the results of his talks with President Putin. He noted that practically all sensitive issues and nuances were discussed within three and a half hours. “I am pleased with the outcome of today’s meeting on the whole. Of course, very open relationship has been established with the President of the Russian Federation, especially in recent months. Our relations can be described as straightforward and open. Today we discussed a broad range of issues high on the bilateral agenda; we touched upon issues of regional and even international importance. The meeting was productive, we did not sign any instruments, but we talked about a number of documents, including in the field of security, about the implementation of a number of documents signed earlier, which are being implemented today. You may know that we have signed an agreement on a joint Armenian-Russian military grouping and an agreement on a common air defense system, and both of them are standing,” the Prime Minister said, noting that they had discussed a specific plan and mechanisms for implementing the provisions of those agreements amid new realities.

“You know that the army reform is among the most important issues on our post-war agenda, which we are implementing with the support of our Russian partners. This was one of the key issues in our discussion. We reviewed the situation with the repatriation prisoners of war, the agenda of regional communications, as well as the directions in which we need to work together. We ascertained where our views concurred and in what directions we should work to harmonize positions. So I consider today’s discussion quite productive. The agenda of our discussions is so vast that I might have missed something, but I will definitely come back to it in the future. One thing is clear: the Armenian-Russian relations are of strategic character, and cooperation needs to be deepened taking into consideration the emerging challenges and the realities we face at this point of time,” Nikol Pashinyan stressed.

Asked about the return of prisoners, the Premier emphasized the need for full implementation of the 8th clause of the tripartite statement of November 9, 2020, which provides that “the prisoners of war, hostages and other detained persons and bodies of the dead ought to be exchanged.”

Nikol Pashinyan stressed that there is full mutual understanding with President Putin concerning the repatriation of POWs, and in this regard, positions on the full implementation of this agreement coincide. He advised that agreement had been reached with the President of the Russian Federation to carry out even more intensive work on the return of prisoners.

Prime Minister Pashinyan answered a number of questions concerning the war unleashed against Artsakh, the post-war situation, the assistance provided by the Armenian government to Artsakh’s war-affected population, the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resolution process, the regional situation, the internal political situation in Armenia, the upcoming parliamentary elections, the opportunities for full realization of the Diaspora potential, the institutionalization thereof, etc.