YEREVAN. Nov 23 (Interfax) - Armenia has always felt Russia's support during the war in Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Saturday.
"I would like to note that all the way through the war we felt the support provided by the Russian Federation, by President Vladimir Putin, by the Prime Minister of the Russian Federation and your personal support," the press service for the Armenian government quoted Pashinyan as saying at a meeting with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.
"We experienced hard times before the war, but now we are facing a more difficult period, and we hope that we will be able to deepen the ongoing cooperation with the Russian Federation, including in the field of security and military-technical cooperation," the prime minister said.
"Now, the military-political situation is different in the region. It has changed, and we need to explore all the parameters of this situation. I am confident that our strategic alliance, friendship and brotherhood between Armenia and Russia will be enhanced in the near and strategic future," Pashinyan said.
Shoigu, in turn, said that the Russian side arrived with "certain, specific tasks."
"You know that after the trilateral statement was signed, we deployed a peacekeeping contingent. During these days, we have stood up almost all over the territory of Karabakh. 23 posts were deployed. We control the road to Stepanakert. We ensure the return of refugees. Now a peaceful life has been established. Our main task is to prevent bloodshed," he said.