Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan left for Russia on a working visit two months before the National Assembly elections. He published a video of his arrival in Moscow on social networks, Radio Liberty’s Armenian service reported on 1 April.
Pashinyan sent an offer for a meeting. The Armenian side’s official statement did not specify the specific agenda for which it had requested a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Pashinyan himself summarised the purpose of last week’s visit: “These meetings are intended to discuss issues related to the interests of our country.”
At this stage, one of the main issues being discussed between Yerevan and Moscow is the issue of the Armenian railways, which are under Russian control. Pashinyan said a month and a half ago that because the railway is controlled by Russia, Armenia loses its strategic positions and competitive advantages. He presented his vision of a solution.
“The solution I see is that a country that has friendly relations with both Russia and Armenia will simply buy the rights to manage the concession from Russia,” he said.
Nikol Pashinyan’s idea to take control of a railway in Russia and hand it over to another country has angered the Russian side, the Armenian service of Radio Liberty writes. First, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called Pashinyan’s statement “strange and somewhat unacceptable,” then Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu warned that if control over Armenian railways passes from Russia to another country, the system could “collapse overnight.”
Following this reaction, Nikol Pashinyan stressed that the Armenian authorities do not intend to talk to the Russian side on the railway issue with the logic of the conflict. And last Thursday, 26 March, he once again expressed hope for the resolution of the issue in a partner atmosphere.
Armenian PM arrives in Russia to meet Putin