On May 21st, in a diplomatic meeting between the foreign ministers of Russia and Armenia, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reaffirmed Moscow’s commitment to supporting Armenia’s sovereignty and defense, while also underlining Russia’s active role in promoting peace in the region.
During the meeting, Lavrov described security as one of the most important pillars of the Russia-Armenia alliance and emphasized that Russia is ready to assist Armenia in safeguarding its independence and territorial integrity. The two sides have also discussed issues related to strengthening the multifaceted cooperation between the two countries, including possibilities for economic and decentralized cooperation.
Turning to the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process, Lavrov expressed Russia’s interest in the normalization of Yerevan-Baku relations. The Russian Foreign Minister stated that:
“Russia is ready to assist in resolving all remaining issues necessary for the signing of the agreement.”
It is important to note that Armenia had minimized diplomatic contact with Moscow, reorienting its foreign policy toward the West. The rift was deepened by the criticism of the CSTO and Russia’s perceived inaction during the crisis. In response to that criticism, Lavrov stated during the meeting that Russia and CSTO had proposed deploying an observation mission to Armenia in 2022, which he claimed was rejected by the Armenian government in favor of a European Union observer mission.
Lavrov also referred to the October 6, 2022 Prague Declaration, where Armenia and Azerbaijan agreed to base negotiations on the 1991 Alma-Ata Declaration, which recognised Artsakh as part of Azerbaijan. He acknowledged this marked a shift from earlier understandings, where the region’s final status was to be resolved through future talks.
However, the tone of the discussion suggests a careful but deliberate step toward restoring trust between the two historically close allies. As the two ministers had previously met in January 2025 in Moscow, the first high-level contact between the two in 14 months, signaling a tentative diplomatic reset. The most recent meeting appears to build on that momentum.
It was foregrounded that the cooperation between Armenia and Russia should develop based on the principles of mutual benefit, respect and trust. The meeting was concluded as the two ministers signed a Program of Consultations and a Plan of Counselling for 2025-2026.
