Kremlin: No plans for Putin-Pashinyan meeting in St. Petersburg

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan are not scheduled for a separate meeting during the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council session in St. Petersburg on December 26, according to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.

In response to questions from journalists, Peskov clarified the situation, stating, “It is not planned separately, but they will have an opportunity to talk 'on the margins' if necessary,” Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian media.

Notably, the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council summit brings together leaders of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) member states to discuss regional cooperation and economic integration. While no formal bilateral talks are on the agenda, the possibility of informal discussions underscores the significance of maintaining dialogue amid ongoing challenges in Russian-Armenian relations.

Pashinyan’s attendance at the summit comes at a time of heightened tensions between Yerevan and Moscow, fueled by geopolitical shifts in the South Caucasus and Armenia’s evolving foreign policy trajectory.  

Notably, on December 26, the President of Russia will take part in a meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council, which will be chaired by Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan. It is intended that the meeting participants will discuss current activities of the Eurasian Economic Union and also outline guidelines for further deepening integration processes and developing the Union’s single market.

At the meeting, various significant documents and decisions will be adopted, including on granting Iran the status of an observer state in the Eurasian Economic Union, as well as on the main areas of the Union’s international activities.

By Khagan Isayev