Diplomat: Russian leader looks forward to Armenian PM’s participation in informal CIS summit

Press secretary for the Russian president Dmitry Peskov has said that Russian President Vladimir Putin invited Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to an informal CIS summit in St. Petersburg scheduled for December 25-26.

“Pashinyan is definitely expected in St. Petersburg. The president has invited him and is, of course, looking forward to his participation, along with other colleagues, in the summit,” he said, Caliber.Az reports per Russian media. 

He also noted that, despite the informal nature of the meeting, its agenda will be quite substantive.

Since the beginning of his presidency in 2000, President Putin has participated in informal meetings of CIS leaders. In recent years, a tradition has emerged of holding such summits in Russia, specifically in St. Petersburg, at the end of December. These meetings typically do not have a formal agenda or approved programme. Instead, during the informal discussions, the leaders of the participating countries exchange views on the issues that are of most interest to them.

Peskov also noted that the Russian side believes that negotiations with Ukraine based on the Istanbul agreements are both reasonable and necessary. However, the Ukrainian side has shown no willingness to engage in dialogue, and Russia continues its special military operation.

"Russia maintains its openness to negotiations. Just yesterday, we emphasized - something President Putin has repeatedly stated - that we are ready for talks. We believe they are possible and necessary based on the Istanbul agreements of 2022. However, at this moment, there are still no preconditions for negotiations, as the Ukrainian side continues avoiding them and excluding the possibility," Peskov said.

However, Peskov does not believe that expectations for a quick peaceful resolution of the conflict in Ukraine should be placed on Donald Trump's potential return to the US presidency.

“It’s unlikely and inappropriate to frame the question in such a way,” Peskov said when asked about the hope that a resolution to the Ukraine conflict might materialize after Trump’s inauguration.

“We have a rich history of relations with various US administrations, including our experience with Trump’s administration during his first term,” the spokesman noted. 

Peskov reminded journalists that during Trump's presidency, over 50 rounds of sanctions were imposed on Russia, and there were numerous unfriendly actions taken against the country.

“This cannot be forgotten, so there’s no need to jump to conclusions. We should wait for concrete steps to be taken after the inauguration,” Peskov added.

By Naila Huseynova