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🎙 FM Sergey Lavrov’s remarks and answers to questions from teachers and students of the Armenian branches of Russian universities, members of the expert community, and activists of the youth wing of the Eurasia Autonomous Non-Profit Organisation (Yerevan, May 21, 2025) 💬 Subsequent to the meeting between President of Russia Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan in autumn 2024 – during which our leaders resolved to reinstate comprehensive contacts across all areas, as these had, to a certain degree, lapsed somewhat in the period preceding their discussions – and in accordance with the leaders’ understanding, I received Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan who visited Moscow in January. We are now here on a reciprocal visit. We are engaging in the frankest discussions – not only on matters positively received by both capitals and conducive to expanding mutually beneficial projects, but also on issues where our perspectives diverge. This includes, notably, the processes unfolding in the South Caucasus, where, broadly speaking, two trends are in contention. The first trend involves respecting the sovereign choices of the countries situated here – the nations of the South Caucasus, Transcaucasia – Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia – while also acknowledging the legitimate interests of their immediate neighbours: Russia, Iran, and Türkiye. <...> The second trend is precisely that our Western counterparts – primarily the European Union, <...> openly sought to extend their dominant influence over this region, to bend unfolding processes to their will, and to prevent the consolidation of the three South Caucasus states with their major neighbours – Russia, Iran, and Türkiye. This objective persists. This trend, this modus operandi of our Western colleagues, is not unique to the South Caucasus but extends to Central Asia and other parts of our vast, shared continent. <...> In contrast, our stance is based on equality, mutual respect and, above all, the principles that have been set out in the UN Charter and are approved by everyone without exception. <...> The promise not to expand NATO has been thrown down the drain. <...> We have warned them over the past 20 years, almost on the daily basis, that all this could come to grief. But after the 2014 coup d’etat, they began converting Ukraine to an “anti-Russia.” <...> So now, when they tell us: Let us have a ceasefire and then we’ll see, we say: No way, guys, we have been through it all before. We don’t want it that way any longer. And so today, when all these Macrons, Starmers, Ursulas von der Leyen, and other European characters are writhing in hysterics and urging the US to join the anti-Russia crusade and increase the number of sanctions, this is a complete giveaway for them. *** Geopolitics and geography alike underscore the necessity of building bridges among all nations across the Eurasian continent. This means, first and foremost, fostering cooperation among the existing regional structures: the #SCO, the #EAEU, the #CSTO, the #CIS, China’s Belt and Road Initiative, the GCC, and ASEAN. <...> However, there are those who are intent on preventing such a mutually beneficial unification of the countries across Eurasia, including those in the South Caucasus and Central Asia. Nevertheless, we continue to advance this effort. Russia's President Vladimir Putin has proposed the creation of a Greater Eurasian Partnership, rooted in practical cooperation and the interaction of existing integration structures, which would serve as the foundation for a future Eurasian security architecture. <...> 🤝 We anticipate that Armenia will take part in these processes. We fully respect the desire of our Armenian partners to develop relations with other countries, whether European or non-European, and with international organisations across various regions. Read in full

🇷🇺🇦🇲🇧🇾🇰🇿🇰🇬 Russia's President Vladimir Putin took part in the meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council at the Palace of Independence in Minsk. Following the meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council, a number of documents concerning specific areas of the #EAEU bodies’ activity and organisational issues were approved. On the sidelines of the Summit, the Agreement on Economic Partnership was signed between the Eurasian Economic Union and its member states, on the one hand, and the United Arab Emirates (#UAE), on the other, as well as the Temporary Trade Agreement between the Eurasian Economic Union and its member states, on the one hand, and #Mongolia, on the other.

🇷🇺🇦🇲 On April 1, President Vladimir Putin held talks at the Kremlin with Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, who arrived in Moscow on a working visit. 💬 President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Mr Pashinyan, friends, We are delighted to welcome you in Moscow. Thank you very much for accepting our invitation and coming here. We can see that domestic political processes in Armenia are gaining momentum, with elections approaching. In this context, I would like to emphasise several key points: such processes often become more intense during election campaigns, as is the case not only in Armenia, I believe, but also in Russia and other countries. However, this escalation must not be allowed to affect relations between Russia and Armenia. We have discussed this many times. Russia and Armenia have special relationships which have evolved over centuries rather than decades. We are united by our common history as well as our cooperation to solve the challenges that we faced in years past. Crucially, we are also united by civilizational affinity. I have already told you this privately before, and I can say it publicly now: we are always in favour of anything that benefits the Armenian people, and you can always rely on it. As for economic cooperation, it continues to develop at a solid pace. Trade reached approximately $11 billion the year before last, and amounted to $6.4 billion in 2025. <...> We observe that there is an ongoing discussion in Armenia concerning the development of relations with the European Union. We remain entirely calm about this, understanding that each nation endeavours to maximise the advantages of cooperation with third countries. However, this must be transparent and articulated honestly, in advance, as it were, “on the shore,” beforehand. Simultaneous membership in the Customs Union with the European Union and the #EAEU is impossible; it is simply untenable by definition. The issue is not even a political one; it is purely economic. <...> There are also numerous other issues today, at this present moment. Perhaps years will pass, and we – the EAEU and the European Union – I hope this will eventually be the case, given that we reside on the same continent – will be able to resolve them. <...> Now, regarding energy. I hope the situation will improve there as well. However, currently, as you are aware, energy prices, gas prices, for instance, in Europe exceed 600 dollars per 1,000 cubic metres, whereas Russia provides gas to Armenia at 177.5 per 1,000 cubic metres. The disparity is vast, the difference is substantial. <...> Now, turning to security issues. Of course, the most sensitive issue to this day – and we recognise this, we discuss it often – is everything relating to #Karabakh. <...> But I think it is also clear that, after you recognised Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan in Prague in 2022, it simply became wholly inappropriate for the #CSTO to become involved in a process that had taken on an intra-Azerbaijani dimension. <...> Incidentally, thanks to your efforts and those of the President of Azerbaijan, I believe you have now managed to stabilise relations. The US President has played an active role in this, and I understand transport links are being unfrozen, and so on. But I think we also need to draw a line under this matter. And it would be better if this did not become entangled in the domestic political process, especially during an election campaign. <...> Let me say again that, whatever happens, we in Russia will always be guided by what is best for the Armenian people. I have said this to you before, and I want to emphasise it once again. 🤝 And I would like to express my hope that, regardless of the outcome of the elections in Armenia, our shared commitment to building and strengthening #RussiaArmenia ties will continue. Thank you.

Как резюмировал дискуссию Александр Шохин, несмотря на существующие сложности и ограничение, понимание задач и способов их решения внушают оптимизм в отношении развития евразийской экономической интеграции. Полный текст новости доступен на странице Управления международного многостороннего сотрудничества и интеграции Российского союза промышленников и предпринимателей (РСПП): http://рспп.рф/events/news/aleksandr-shokhin-na-pmef-2021-effektivnoe-vzaimodeystvie-biznesa-i-organov-vlasti-uslovie-uspeshnog-60bf6abbb3e06/ #РСПП#ЕАЭС#евразийскаяинтеграция#RSPP#EAEU

🎙Following the EAEU summit, President of Russia Vladimir Putin answered questions from Russian journalists 📍 Minsk, June 27, 2025 #EAEU As for the outcomes of today’s EAEU summit, we are satisfied with the results and have drawn certain conclusions. The President of Belarus has already noted that our development strategy, which was designed to run until this year, is nearing completion. We are considering how to structure our joint efforts moving forward. However, overall, the results of our work cannot but satisfy us. They satisfy all of us. Why? Because the key aggregate indicator of economic performance is the growth rate. In the EAEU, it exceeds the global average. As is known, global growth stands at 3.3 percent. The EAEU’s growth is over 4 percent – significantly higher. In some countries, it is substantially greater, reaching 5 percent or even approaching 6 percent, in my view. This is, among other things, a direct result of our joint efforts, as the very purpose of our work is to eliminate trade and other economic barriers to cooperation. Without exaggeration, this multiplies the potential for economic growth. #Ukraine Regarding the memorandums [Russian and Ukrainian], as expected, there were no surprises. I will not tell you anything surprising, either. These are two absolutely opposing memorandums, but that is precisely why talks are set up and held – to find ways to bring positions closer. The fact that they were diametrically opposed does not seem surprising to me, either. I would not like to go into details, as I believe it would be counterproductive – even harmful – to get ahead of the talks. With regard to what has been achieved so far following the talks, I think you can see it for yourself. Today, if I am not mistaken, another exchange took place… or was it yesterday? Today, right? And this is important. The humanitarian aspect matters because, as diplomats say, it creates conditions for substantive discussions on core issues. We agreed that after completing these exchanges and the humanitarian operation which we proposed – specifically, the transfer of the servicemen’s bodies – we would press ahead with more contacts. We have already handed over more than 6,000 bodies and are ready to transfer nearly 3,000 more, but it is now up to the Ukrainian side to agree to accept the remains of their fallen soldiers. We agreed that after this phase is completed, we would hold the third round of talks. We are ready for it overall. The venue and the time need to be agreed upon. I expect President Erdogan to keep unchanged his supportive stance with regard to this process. We are very grateful to him for that. We stand ready to hold this meeting in Istanbul. As for the exact timeframe, the heads of the negotiating teams from both sides – who remain in constant, direct contact and regularly get on the phone with each other (which, I believe, is a good sign) – are discussing the date for the next meeting. The agenda? In my opinion, the discussion should focus on the memoranda from both sides. #EU#NATO We are planning to cut the defence expenses next year and the year after, as well during the next three years. The Defence Ministry, the Finance Ministry and the Ministry of Economic Development have yet to reach the final agreement, still, in general, everybody is thinking along these lines. And Europe is thinking about raising its defence expenses. So, who is getting ready for any aggressive actions, us or them? Yes, we do want to complete the special military operation with the result we need. Certainly. This is what we take into account when planning our defence expenses, not aggressive aspirations against Europe and NATO countries. And we want to decrease the expenses, while they want to increase them. 📄Read in full

🎙Following the EAEU summit, President of Russia Vladimir Putin answered questions from Russian journalists 📍 Minsk, June 27, 2025 #EAEU As for the outcomes of today’s EAEU summit, we are satisfied with the results and have drawn certain conclusions. The President of Belarus has already noted that our development strategy, which was designed to run until this year, is nearing completion. We are considering how to structure our joint efforts moving forward. However, overall, the results of our work cannot but satisfy us. They satisfy all of us. Why? Because the key aggregate indicator of economic performance is the growth rate. In the EAEU, it exceeds the global average. As is known, global growth stands at 3.3 percent. The EAEU’s growth is over 4 percent – significantly higher. In some countries, it is substantially greater, reaching 5 percent or even approaching 6 percent, in my view. This is, among other things, a direct result of our joint efforts, as the very purpose of our work is to eliminate trade and other economic barriers to cooperation. Without exaggeration, this multiplies the potential for economic growth. #Ukraine Regarding the memorandums [Russian and Ukrainian], as expected, there were no surprises. I will not tell you anything surprising, either. These are two absolutely opposing memorandums, but that is precisely why talks are set up and held – to find ways to bring positions closer. The fact that they were diametrically opposed does not seem surprising to me, either. I would not like to go into details, as I believe it would be counterproductive – even harmful – to get ahead of the talks. With regard to what has been achieved so far following the talks, I think you can see it for yourself. Today, if I am not mistaken, another exchange took place… or was it yesterday? Today, right? And this is important. The humanitarian aspect matters because, as diplomats say, it creates conditions for substantive discussions on core issues. We agreed that after completing these exchanges and the humanitarian operation which we proposed – specifically, the transfer of the servicemen’s bodies – we would press ahead with more contacts. We have already handed over more than 6,000 bodies and are ready to transfer nearly 3,000 more, but it is now up to the Ukrainian side to agree to accept the remains of their fallen soldiers. We agreed that after this phase is completed, we would hold the third round of talks. We are ready for it overall. The venue and the time need to be agreed upon. I expect President Erdogan to keep unchanged his supportive stance with regard to this process. We are very grateful to him for that. We stand ready to hold this meeting in Istanbul. As for the exact timeframe, the heads of the negotiating teams from both sides – who remain in constant, direct contact and regularly get on the phone with each other (which, I believe, is a good sign) – are discussing the date for the next meeting. The agenda? In my opinion, the discussion should focus on the memoranda from both sides. #EU#NATO We are planning to cut the defence expenses next year and the year after, as well during the next three years. The Defence Ministry, the Finance Ministry and the Ministry of Economic Development have yet to reach the final agreement, still, in general, everybody is thinking along these lines. And Europe is thinking about raising its defence expenses. So, who is getting ready for any aggressive actions, us or them? Yes, we do want to complete the special military operation with the result we need. Certainly. This is what we take into account when planning our defence expenses, not aggressive aspirations against Europe and NATO countries. And we want to decrease the expenses, while they want to increase them. 📄Read in full

🎙Following the EAEU summit, President of Russia Vladimir Putin answered questions from Russian journalists #EAEU As for the outcomes of today’s EAEU summit, we are satisfied with the results and have drawn certain conclusions. The President of Belarus has already noted that our development strategy, which was designed to run until this year, is nearing completion. We are considering how to structure our joint efforts moving forward. However, overall, the results of our work cannot but satisfy us. They satisfy all of us. Why? Because the key aggregate indicator of economic performance is the growth rate. In the EAEU, it exceeds the global average. As is known, global growth stands at 3.3 percent. The EAEU’s growth is over 4 percent – significantly higher. In some countries, it is substantially greater, reaching 5 percent or even approaching 6 percent, in my view. This is, among other things, a direct result of our joint efforts, as the very purpose of our work is to eliminate trade and other economic barriers to cooperation. Without exaggeration, this multiplies the potential for economic growth. #Ukraine Regarding the memorandums [Russian and Ukrainian], as expected, there were no surprises. I will not tell you anything surprising, either. These are two absolutely opposing memorandums, but that is precisely why talks are set up and held – to find ways to bring positions closer. The fact that they were diametrically opposed does not seem surprising to me, either. I would not like to go into details, as I believe it would be counterproductive – even harmful – to get ahead of the talks. With regard to what has been achieved so far following the talks, I think you can see it for yourself. Today, if I am not mistaken, another exchange took place… or was it yesterday? Today, right? And this is important. The humanitarian aspect matters because, as diplomats say, it creates conditions for substantive discussions on core issues. We agreed that after completing these exchanges and the humanitarian operation which we proposed – specifically, the transfer of the servicemen’s bodies – we would press ahead with more contacts. We have already handed over more than 6,000 bodies and are ready to transfer nearly 3,000 more, but it is now up to the Ukrainian side to agree to accept the remains of their fallen soldiers. We agreed that after this phase is completed, we would hold the third round of talks. We are ready for it overall. The venue and the time need to be agreed upon. I expect President Erdogan to keep unchanged his supportive stance with regard to this process. We are very grateful to him for that. We stand ready to hold this meeting in Istanbul. As for the exact timeframe, the heads of the negotiating teams from both sides – who remain in constant, direct contact and regularly get on the phone with each other (which, I believe, is a good sign) – are discussing the date for the next meeting. The agenda? In my opinion, the discussion should focus on the memoranda from both sides. #EU#NATO We are planning to cut the defence expenses next year and the year after, as well during the next three years. The Defence Ministry, the Finance Ministry and the Ministry of Economic Development have yet to reach the final agreement, still, in general, everybody is thinking along these lines. And Europe is thinking about raising its defence expenses. So, who is getting ready for any aggressive actions, us or them? Yes, we do want to complete the special military operation with the result we need. Certainly. This is what we take into account when planning our defence expenses, not aggressive aspirations against Europe and NATO countries. And we want to decrease the expenses, while they want to increase them. 📄Read in full

🗓 On June 19, the #EAEU-ASEAN Business Dialogue was held on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (#SPIEF-2025). 🔹️The business dialogue was attended by the Minister for Integration and Macroeconomics of the Eurasian Economic Commission (#EEC) Mr. Eldar Alisherov, ASEAN Deputy Secretary-General Mr. Satvinder Singh, Union Minister of Investment and Foreign Economic Relations of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar Kan Zaw🇲🇲, Deputy Prime Minister of the Lao People's Democratic Republic Saleumxay Kommasith🇱🇦, Managing Director, Adinin Group of Companies; Chair, ASEAN Business Advisory Council of the Brunei Darussalam Musa Adnin 🇧🇳, General Director, Russian Energy Agency (REA) of the Ministry of Energy of Russia Alexey Kulapin🇷🇺, representatives of business and expert circles from the EAEU and ASEAN Member States. 🔹️The EEC Minister emphasized that it is important for the businesses of the EAEU and ASEAN countries to more actively use the opportunities of digitalization, create data platforms that allow potential partners to find each other, organize business missions, and find new formats for cooperation. Industry dialogue provides good prospects for interaction between the business circles of the EAEU and ASEAN. “The ASEAN Secretariat and the EEC have already taken practical steps. In 2025, a series of industry seminars was launched in such areas as energy, agriculture, customs regulation, intellectual property, e-commerce, competition policy, and transport,” said Eldar Alisherov. “In the future, the EAEU and ASEAN could consider establishing an EAEU-ASEAN dialogue mechanism. It could have a clear business component based on the fact that business is the main beneficiary of trade and economic cooperation,” noted Eldar Alisherov. 🔹️The event was co-organized by the Eurasian Economic Commission (#EEC), the Russia-ASEAN Business Council and the Roscongress Foundation. 📌The Memorandum of Understanding between the EEC and ASEAN on Economic Cooperation was signed on November 14, 2018 in Singapore. To implement the Memorandum, a Cooperation Program for 2020–2025 was adopted. It covers such areas as customs legislation and law enforcement practice, trade policy, entrepreneurship, technical and antimonopoly regulation, SPS measures, energy, functioning of domestic markets, and others. #EEC#EAEU#ASEAN

🗓 On June 6, the #EAEU-ASEAN Business Dialogue was held on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (#SPIEF-2024). 🔹️The event was co-organized by the Eurasian Economic Commission (#EEC), the Russia-ASEAN Business Council and the Roscongress Foundation. 🔹️Participants discussed ways to intensify trade and economic cooperation between ASEAN and the EAEU, the role of supranational and national regulatory measures in the context of the growth of global economy of the countries of the Eurasian region in response to global challenges. They also noted the importance of studying approaches to determining strategic directions for development in the EAEU and ASEAN and exchanging best integration practices. 🔹️H.E. Mr. Sergey Glaziev, EEC Minister for Integration and Macroeconomics noted that the interaction established between the EAEU and ASEAN and with the countries of the region made it possible to effectively cope with current geo-economic challenges and achieve progress in the development of mutually beneficial cooperation. At the same time, he emphasized that the two organizations need to create a new dimension of dialogue, which will allow them to multiply the volume of trade turnover and eliminate existing barriers. 🔹️In his remarks Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for ASEAN Economic Community H.E. Mr. Satvinder Singh noted that the EAEU is a strategic partner of ASEAN. In his opinion, more attention should be paid to diversifying trade and economic interaction between the parties, deepening the dialogue and exchange of practical experience in the field of innovation, digital transformation and increasing market transparency. 🚩 Since 2018 the St.Petersburg International Economic Forum is hosting an annual EAEU-ASEAN Business Dialogue.

🇷🇺🇧🇾 Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s greetings to Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus Sergey Aleinik on the Day of Unity of the Peoples of Russia and Belarus 💬 Please accept my heartfelt greetings and best wishes on our shared holiday – the Day of Unity of the Peoples of Russia and Belarus. No heinous terrorist attacks can intimidate or break the spirit of Russians and Belarusians. On this day, we remember and mourn the victims of Nazi henchmen who lost their lives at Khatyn and Krasnogorsk. These shared tragedies only bring us closer together and strengthen our resolve to put an end to the evil stemming from the man-hating ideologies of neo-Nazism and religious extremism. I am confident that together we will successfully cope with the serious threats and challenges posed by the collective West and its Ukrainian puppets and ensure the safety and prosperity of all Russians and Belarusians. I look forward to the continuation of our traditionally close international coordination between our foreign ministries in line with the Programme of Coordinated Actions for 2024-2026. We remain committed to providing diplomatic support for our multifaceted bilateral cooperation and intense integration processes within the framework of the Union State, the #EAEU, the #CSTO, and the #CIS. 🤝 On this occasion, I would like to wish you good health, happiness, wellbeing and continued professional success. #RussiaBelarus

@RusEmbMalta Press Release Eurasian Economic Union: 2025 Results Overall Assessment In 2025, the Eurasian Economic Union continued to demonstrate high resilience, stable growth and deepening integration, confirming its role as one of the key development platforms in the Eurasian space. Despite external challenges, the Union achieved substantial progress in macroeconomic stability, industrial cooperation, infrastructure modernization, financial integration and expansion of international economic partnerships. Macroeconomic Trends In 2025, the EAEU economies maintained a positive growth trajectory: • GDP growth across the Union reached double-digit levels in the most dynamically developing economies; • Investment in fixed capitalgrew at rates of up to over 20%; • Industrial and agricultural production continued steady expansion; • Unemployment remained at historically low levels across most Member States These indicators reflect strengthening domestic demand, investment confidence and sustainable economic recovery. Financial Integration and Trade 📌 The share of national currencies in intra-Union settlements reached historically high levels, exceeding 90% 📌 In external trade operations within the Union, the share of national currencies approached full coverage In 2025, the institutional architecture of the common financial market was significantly strengthened: • Agreement signed enabling companies to place securities on stock exchanges of any EAEU Member State • Exchange Trading Development Program approved • Practical mechanisms introduced to enhance cross-border investment flows Transport and Infrastructure Development The EAEU achieved major breakthroughs in transport connectivity and digital transformation: ✔ Implementation of electronic international freight documentation systems ✔ Introduction of advanced cargo monitoring and navigation seal mechanisms ✔ Expansion of the cabotage transport program across the Union ✔ Formation of a coordinated pool of infrastructure projects with third countries Energy Market Integration In 2025, substantial progress was achieved in building the common energy markets: - Finalization of legal and technical frameworks for the common electricity market - Development of indicative balances for oil, gas and petroleum products for a three-year period - Approval of development plans for the common gas market External Economic Expansion The Union significantly expanded its global economic presence: 🤝 Free Trade Agreement with Iran entered into force in 2025 🤝 Free Trade Agreements signed with the United Arab Emirates and Mongolia 🇮🇳 Negotiations launched with India on expanding trade and investment cooperation Innovation, Industry and Technological Cooperation In 2025, the EAEU reinforced its innovation ecosystem: 🔹 Launch of the Strategic Program for Scientific and Technological Development 🔹 Union-level financial mechanisms introduced to support high-technology cooperative projects 🔹 Total allocated funding exceeded several billion rubles 🔹 Support instruments extended to the agro-industrial sector Key Institutional Decisions • Import duties on precious metal scrap reduced to zero until 2028 • Updated technical standards adopted for fire safety systems and main pipelines • New measures introduced to protect fair competition and internal markets • Priority consumer protection agenda approved for 2026 The results of 2025 clearly demonstrate that the Eurasian Economic Union is entering a new stage of systemic maturity and strategic sustainability. Through consistent integration, coordinated policies and expanding partnerships, the EAEU continues to deliver tangible economic benefits and long-term development opportunities for its Member States and partners. #EAEU#EurasianIntegration#EconomicDevelopment

✨️ On February 10, the Islamabad Institute of Strategic Studies hosted a roundtable discussion titled "European and Eurasian Security: The View from Moscow and Islamabad," featuring experts from Russia, including IMEMO RAS Director Feodor Voitolovsky and researchers Gleb Makarevich and Maria Khorolskaya. During their presentations, the Russian researchers discussed the historical conditions that led to the collapse of the Euro-Atlantic security system. They emphasized the importance of the initiative proposed by Russian President Vladimir Putin to establish a security architecture based on the primary regional integration structures — the #CIS, #SCO, #BRICS, #EAEU, and #CSTO — on the Eurasian continent. Watch in full