On June 7, Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, Foreign Minister of Armenia, who is in Moscow on a working visit, met with Sergey Lavrov, Foreign Minister of Russia.

Welcoming Minister Mnatsakanyan, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov said: "I am glad for this chance to personally congratulate you upon assuming high office of Minister of Foreign Affairs and I hope that today, in continuation of the recently held high-level, meeting we will have an opportunity to discuss issues related to the development of our alliance and strategic partnership both in bilateral format, and within the framework of our involvement in various international structures."

Minister Mnatsakanyan thanked for warm reception and stressed that this is his first foreign visit in his capacity as Foreign Minister and it is natural that he pays a visit to Moscow. "It is a pleasure for me to be here in this city, taking into account the warm feelings I personally have towards Russia and Moscow. Being a MGIMO alumni, I must say that those were among the most wonderful years of my life. I'm grateful for the professional education I received in that institution.

Indeed, our relationship has a solid foundation. The commitment of the Government of Armenia to deepen and strengthen our allied cooperation, our mutual collaboration based on mutual understanding and mutual respect has been and remains the basis of our priorities. It is also expressed in the programme of our Government, which, by the way, is being presented for the Parliament's approval today. And I am visiting Moscow with that spirit, with that very mindset,” the Foreign Minister of Armenia said.

Ministers emphasized the willingness of both sides not only to ensure the consistency of allied relations, but also to conduct daily activities in different formats to give them new impetus. In that context, the sides touched upon the process of implementation of agreements reached during the meeting between Nikol Pashinyan, Prime Minister of Armenia, and Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, on May 14, as well as discussed the schedule of upcoming high-level visits.

In the course of the meeting, Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Russia had a detailed discussion on a wide range of Armenian-Russian relations, particularly focusing on the intensification of trade and economic ties, implementation of joint programs in educational and cultural sphere, and military-technical cooperation. In this context Foreign Ministers underscored the importance of intergovernmental and inter-parliamentary commissions, as well as the effective functioning of the Intergovernmental Commission on Military-Technical Cooperation.

The interlocutors exchanged views on the issues of cooperation and coordination of activities within the framework of the UN, the OSCE, CIS, Council of Europe, BSEC and other multilateral platforms, in this regard highlighting the important role of the Foreign Ministries of two countries. A particular emphasis was made on the importance of close cooperation within the framework of the EAEU and CSTO.

The agenda of the meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Russia also included a number of issues related to the citizens of Armenia working in Russia, as well as the ways of solving existing problems. Both sides highlighted the importance of uninterrupted communication between Armenia and Russia.

During the meeting a number of international and regional issues were discussed, views were exchanged on the recent developments around Iran's nuclear program and the situation in Syria.

The sides thoroughly discussed the process of peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the recent developments. Foreign Minister of Armenia attached importance to the joint efforts of Russia, being undertaken together with the other OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries - France and the United States, aimed at the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, emphasizing the importance of an environment conducive to peace for the success of the process.

At the end of the meeting the Foreign Ministers of two countries had a joint press conference.