RUSSIA-ARMENIA COOPERATION IMMUNE FROM CRISIS – MOSCOW

Interfax
Jan 11 2010
Russia

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will discuss Karabakh settlement
prospects during a visit to Yerevan.

"Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will pay a working visit to
the Republic of Armenia on January 13-14," Russian Foreign Ministry
spokesman Andrei Nesterenko said in an interview posted on the
ministry website.

Lavrov is due to meet with Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and
Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian.

"The sides will center on the Karabakh settlement process in the
light of Russian mediation efforts. Foreign political aspects of the
bilateral relations and the South Caucasian situation will also be
on the agenda," he said.

Nesterenko lauded Russia-Armenia relations.

"Despite the global crisis, trade, economic, military-political,
humanitarian and transboundary cooperation between Russia and Armenia
have shown positive trends," he said.

Bilateral economic relations are dynamic, Nesterenko noted.

"Trade and economic relations between Armenia and Russia, which remains
the leading foreign economic partner of Yerevan, help stabilize the
socioeconomic position of the republic," he said.