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Russian, Armenian foreign ministers to discuss Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Customs Union

The foreign ministers may also discuss cooperation in the military sphere

MOSCOW, November 18, /ITAR-TASS/. Russian and Armenian foreign ministers, Sergei Lavrov and Edvard Nalbandyan, will discuss the Nagorno-Karabakh problem and development of the integration processes in the CIS.

The ministers will discuss the entire spectrum of the Russian-Armenian relations in the political, trade, economic and investment spheres. Russia is the republic’s major trade partner and leading foreign investor in the Armenian economy. In 2012, the trade turnover exceeded the level of one billion for the first time making 1.2 billion dollars, and Russian investments in the Armenian economy over past 20 years are above three billion dollars.

Lavrov and Nalbandyan will touch upon cooperation in the nuclear energy. In early November, Armenia’s President Serzh Sargsyan announced Moscow and Yerevan would sign an intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in nuclear security. He said the document “will favour development of the country’s nuclear security infrastructures over preparations for construction of new nuclear blocks by Russian projects.”

The foreign ministers may also discuss cooperation in the military sphere, which the countries have been developing actively: Armenia hosts a Russian military base and border control contingents.

The sides will also pay special attention to key topics of the regional and international agendas, to security and stability in Transcaucasia, including settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh problem. Moscow and Yerevan have been cooperating in the framework of the CIS and CSTO /Collective Security Treaty Organisation/, and the Organisation of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation.

The meeting’s agenda will include discussions of Armenia’s plans to join the Customs Union. During the visit to Moscow in September, Armenia’s president said about his countries plans to join the organisation. Serzh Sargsyan said his country was planning not only to join the Customs Union, but also “in future to participate in formation of the Eurasian economic union.” Russia, like other countries of the Customs Union, expressed support for Yerevan’s plans.