Pashinyan's Moscow Visit Linked To Putin Talks As Yerevan Eyes Peace Deal With Azerbaijan, Simonyan Confirms

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan will soon visit Russia and plans to meet with President Vladimir Putin, Armenian Parliament Speaker Alen Simonyan told reporters, Azernews reports via the Armenian media.

“I don't think the head of state would travel to Moscow if such a meeting were not planned. A visit by the head of state, whether official or working, cannot take place without such a meeting,” Simonyan said, Azernews reports citing Armenian media.

Addressing questions about Russia's military presence in Armenia, Simonyan clarified that Yerevan is not considering removing the Russian base stationed in the country.“At the moment, we are not discussing this issue; there have been no such talks,” he stated.

Turning to domestic politics, Simonyan sharply criticized the parliamentary opposition, describing it as“a political corpse, a political bankrupt, and without a political agenda.” He added that some opposition figures were seeking alliances with other political forces to secure seats in the next parliament. At the same time, he acknowledged the existence of an extra-parliamentary opposition and expressed hope that established leaders would enter parliament after elections, leading to what he called a“real opposition.”

The speaker also touched upon Armenia–Azerbaijan relations, emphasizing that normalization and economic integration were inevitable:

“Most Armenians do not want to see the face of an Azerbaijani border guard, and this is bad, because we are neighbors. Over time, this will also disappear.”

“The same Armenians and Azerbaijanis are doing business together in Moscow, making friends, going to each other's birthdays.”

“There is sensitivity on both sides, but the most priority and important issue is to open communications as soon as possible.”

“Just five minutes after the peace agreement, citizens of Armenia and Azerbaijan will start trading, communicating in various forms. This is inevitable.”

“Armenians and Azerbaijanis will trade with each other, we will have a single Armenian-Azerbaijani commodity market. There will be Azerbaijani products in our stores, and Armenian products in Baku and other cities. This is inevitable.”

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