Pashinyan and Putin to take "inventory" of relations

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said he had agreed with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to take an inventory of bilateral relations.

"Certain agreements were reached at the meeting in Bishkek. In particular, that we must take an inventory of the concept of 'relations between Armenia and Russia' in order to understand what it represents in practice. That is, what items exist under it, on which of them we have common positions and on which issues they differ," Pashinyan said at a briefing following a government session.

As for the nuclear power plant, the parties have already reached an agreement — in September, the head of Rosatom, Alexei Likhachev, will present Yerevan with Russia's proposal for the construction of a new plant.

Pashinyan reiterated that this is not a geopolitical issue, and that Armenia will choose the best price/quality ratio.

The railway also became a subject of discussion at the meeting with Putin.

"There is an understanding that we must resolve this issue in some way." It is obvious to me that the current situation cannot continue for long and a solution must be reached.

Putin and Pashinyan met on September 1 in Bishkek. One of the topics of the talks was the question of combining Armenia's membership in the EAEU with its course toward rapprochement with the European Union.

Pashinyan recalled that the Armenian parliament last year adopted a law on launching the process of the country's accession to the EU. According to him, the adoption of the law effectively meant refusing to hold a separate referendum on the issue.

Putin did not agree with this position. The Russian president said that the citizens of Armenia should themselves make the choice between the EU and the EAEU, and proposed holding a corresponding vote in order to "thereby close the issue."

Source: Sputnik Armenia