Russian, Armenian defense ministers discuss ways to enhance interaction

YEREVAN, February 25. /ARKA/. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and his Armenian counterpart Suren Papikyan discussed in Moscow on Friday the prospects for enhancement of bilateral cooperation, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported.

Shoigu was said to thank Armenian authorities (Armenia is chairing the Collective Security Treaty Organization) for a prompt and very important decision to send CSTO peacekeepers to Kazakhstan earlier this year, which according to Shoigu ‘allowed us to quite vigorously and very effectively help our Kazakh colleagues in resolving the critical situation.”

It was Papikyan’s first visit to Russia in the captaincy of Armenia’s defense minister. He told Shoigu that he will do everything possible to build up the Armenian-Russian defense cooperation.

Papikyan was quoted as saying that no decrease in tension is being observed in the region, and each time one has to face new challenges and threats.

“Obviously, all these challenges and threats facing our states can be overcome only by acting together,” Papikyan said.

He noted that "in this context, the meeting at the level of defense ministers of the allied states is of particular importance." -0-