Pashinyan: I know Putin as rational person

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has said that Armenia and Russia maintain long-term agreements on natural gas supplies, stressing that it is difficult to envisage either side unilaterally abandoning its contractual obligations.

Speaking at a government briefing, Pashinyan said such actions would not be consistent with normal treaty-based conduct between states, Caliber.Az reports.

“That is not how things are done. It is not the way parties to an agreement behave,” he said.

The prime minister added that Armenian officials are currently assessing a range of potential scenarios regarding future developments in relations with Moscow.

“I have worked with President Vladimir Putin for more than eight years. I know him as a rational person who bases his decisions on facts. If he has any concerns, we will try to address them patiently,” Pashinyan said.

He also indicated that he would be prepared to travel to Moscow if formally invited, stating: “If an invitation comes, I will go. I certainly will not decline it.”

Commenting on the absence of congratulations from the Russian president following Armenia’s parliamentary election, Pashinyan said: “Let us hope that he will.”

By Aghakazim Guliyev