Transcript of the beginning of the meeting:

Serzh Sargsyan: I’m truly pleased to welcome you to Yerevan. A high level of political dialogue and mutual efforts to consolidate our strategic partnership are creating a very good atmosphere for the further development of our bilateral relations. Our trade is growing with each passing year and our humanitarian cooperation is becoming increasingly diverse. In fact, we are cooperating in all spheres and are pleased with the rate at which our relations are developing. Of course, we are always striving for more. Welcome to Yerevan. I’m pleased to see you.

Viktor Zubkov: Thank you very much. Mr President, I recall with pleasure my visit to Armenia in February 2008 in the capacity of Russia’s prime minister. During the past four years our relations have become even warmer. No doubt, your state visit to Russia last October contributed to the consolidation of our close political ties. Now the ministries and departments of our two countries are actively working to implement the instructions issued by the presidents of Russia and Armenia following this visit.

I have looked at our trade figures. They are impressive – almost one billion dollars during the past year ($994.4 million – ed.). We have good prospects in many branches of the economy, especially electricity, gas supplies, the nuclear power industry as well as in many other serious projects that we are gong to discuss in detail.

We have major prospects in the joint development of Armenia’s agriculture and related industries. The chairman of the board of Rosselkhozbank and the general director of Rosagroleasing visited Armenia on my instructions. They reported to me in detail on the positive outcome of their meetings. Our prospects are good for close, mutually beneficial relations in this field as well. I think this cooperation will facilitate an increase in the production of competitive agricultural products in Armenia.