SERZH SARGSYAN: WE SHOULD ALWAYS SEEK ARMENIAN-RUSSIAN POLITICAL RELATIONS’ BEING MUCH HIGHER THAN ECONOMIC ONES

Noyan Tapan
Oct 21, 2008

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 21, NOYAN TAPAN. The indices of Armenian-Russian
economic cooperation are very impressive, but we should always seek
Armenian-Russian political relations’ being at a much higher level,"
RA President Serzh Sargsyan stated at the October 21 press conference,
in response to journalists’ questions. "It is time to speak about
joint bold, large-scale programs," he said mentioning as an example
that construction of a new nuclear power plant, railway was spoken
about during his private talk to the RF President. "The economic
relations are impressive but have a tendency of being inferior to
the political relations," Serzh Sargsyan said, to which his Russian
counterpart responded: "Our task is to overcome that tendency."

The RA President also said that Armenia’s strategic relations with
Russia did not impede establishment and development of its relations
with other states. "I think the level of the current relations is very
good but I would like our relations to be model and not demonstrative,"
the RA President said. He did not agree to the view voiced, according
to which Armenia’s relations with Russia are forced. "It is never
possible to find friends by force, especially to maintain," the RA
President said mentioning that Armenia-Russia relations are open,
transparent, and reliable: "The strength of our friendship is in
mutual confidence," he said.

RF President Dmitry Medvedev, in his turn, said that "very high allied,
friendly relations between the two countries maybe are forced, but have
been forced during several centuries, it is clear that such relations
are dear, we are not only friends, but also neighbors, partners," he
said emphasizing that the two countries’ relations have been checked by
history and time, not only pragmatic, international and even domestic
calculation, but centuries-old friendship is behind the relations,
which is the most valuable, which "we are obliged to keep for ever."