Yerevan, September 6 (AVN) - Serzh Sarkisyan, Armenian defence minister and co-chairman of the Armenian-Russian commission on economic co-operation, told reporters on Thursday that the forthcoming Armenian trip of Russian President Vladimir Putin was of strategic importance.
The visit scheduled for September 13 may have a dramatic effect on the Armenian economy which has suffered many troubles in the past few years, Sarkisyan said. Under the auspices of the agreement on long-term economic co-operation Putin and Armenian officials will discuss almost all issues which are of strategic importance to the Armenian economy. Particularly, they are to negotiate on mutual co-operation in the sphere of gas supplies.
Sarkisyan refused to comment on the issues that he was planning to discuss with his Russian counterpart Sergei Ivanov, who is included in the Russian delegation. Despite insistent questions of reporters, he only said that the talks "will be very important for the Armenian defence and development of comprehensive co-operation in the military sphre."