Lavrov announced his intention to pay a visit to Armenia

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov plans to make a working trip to Yerevan at the invitation of his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan. The Russian Foreign Minister said this on January 21 at the end of talks with the Armenian Foreign Minister.

"There is a demand for activation of interactions in the line of our ministries, and I will definitely use the invitation that Ararat Samvelovich [Mirzoyan] confirmed to me today to pay a visit to Yerevan," Lavrov said at a joint press conference.

He specified that Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko is also planning to visit Armenia. The dates of her visit are still being worked out, preliminary, the X Russian-Armenian Interregional Forum may be timed to coincide with it.

Besides, Russia will be glad to see the Armenian leadership at the May celebrations in honor of the 80th anniversary of the Victory in Moscow, the Russian Foreign Minister added.

"We discussed plans on preparations for the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War. I would like to note once again that we will be happy to see the Armenian leadership at the invitation of [Russian President Vladimir] Putin at the May celebrations in Moscow," Lavrov pointed out.

Earlier, on January 17, Putin held a telephone conversation with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, during which they discussed bilateral issues and the agenda of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). During the conversation, Putin and Pashinyan touched upon the topic of deepening integration cooperation, especially in the field of energy.

Prior to that, on January 14, Lavrov noted that Armenia's decision to start the European Union (EU) accession process is sovereign, but Yerevan should weigh the pros and cons. He also recalled the words of Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk, who noted that Armenia's membership in the EU is incompatible with the country's simultaneous participation in the EAEU, as they are two different free trade zones that do not coincide.

The Armenian government at a January 9 meeting approved a draft law on starting the process of the state's accession to the EU. Mirzoyan noted that the EU has provided Yerevan with assistance, including in security aspects, and also stated its readiness to help the state's economic development.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, commenting on the bill, pointed out that it is hypothetically impossible to combine membership in the EU and the EAEU, as the two associations have a large number of differences. He drew attention to the fact that interaction with the EAEU brings Yerevan benefits.