NOVO-OGARYOVO, November 18. /TASS/. The fact that Nikol Pashinyan became Armenia’s prime minister on a wave of protests in 2018 did not affect Moscow’s relations with Yerevan, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview with Russian media outlets, which was aired on Russia-1 and Russia-24.

"I haven’t noticed anything special about our relations with Armenia recently, particularly during Prime Minister Pashinyan’s term," Putin pointed out. According to the Russian president, he has "rather trust-based and constructive" relations with Pashinyan. "This is why I don’t get these hints [at changes in Moscow’s attitude to Yerevan]," he added.

"There are centuries-long relations between Russia and the Armenian people, which date back to the distant past. Our relations are based on cultural and religious affinity, as well as on strong historical, and it is even more important than relations between individuals," the Russian president emphasized.

Armenia’s parliament elected Pashinyan as the country's prime minister in May 2018 after Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan had stepped down under opposition pressure.