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Armenian leader’s US visit in no contradiction with upcoming trip to Moscow — diplomat

Armenia enjoys "excellent strategic relations" with Russia and "very lasting partnership" with the United States
From left, Sen. Robert Menendez, Sen. John McCain, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyn and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, May 5 AP Photo/Brett Carlsen
From left, Sen. Robert Menendez, Sen. John McCain, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyn and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, May 5
© AP Photo/Brett Carlsen

WASHINGTON, May 7. /TASS/. Armenian president’s US visit to be followed by a trip to Moscow don’t contradict each other as Armenia enjoys "excellent strategic relations" with Russia and "very lasting partnership" with the United States, Armenian Foreign Minister Edvard Nalbandyan said on Thursday.

Speaking at the National Press Club in Washington on Thursday, the diplomat dismissed speculations that the current stay in Washington of Serzh Sargsyan was at variance with his upcoming visit to Moscow to attend festivities marking 70 years since Soviet defeat of Hitler’s forces in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945.

"It is an extremely strange question. As you should know we have excellent strategic relations with Russia. At the same time we have extremely lasting partnership with the US. So what is the problem a visit to Washington and a subsequent trip to Moscow or vice versa?" he replied to the Turkish journalist who asked whether the US administration had tried to put pressure on the Armenian leader in connection with his planned trip to Moscow.

Nalbandyan is visiting Washington as part of a delegation led by President Serzh Sargsyan to take part in events marking 100 years since the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire.

The press service of the Armenian president said earlier in the week that the president would arrive in Moscow on May 8 to participate in a session of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council and in Victory Day festivities.

The Armenian president said a unit of the Armenian Armed Forces would take part in the May 9 parade on Moscow’s Red Square.

The Eurasian Economic Union brings together Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Armenia, while Kyrgyzstan will join in May.