Russia-Armenia relations are allied relations, whereas Russia-Azerbaijan relations are strategic partnership.

Alexei Pavlovsky, Director of the Fourth Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, told the aforesaid to Armenian reporters in Moscow. 

“Partnership means that we cooperate; strategic means that the cooperation is long-term,” Pavlovsky noted. “The objective factors, which are at the basis of Russian-Azerbaijani relations, are clear: close geographical position, economic ties, [and] the large Azerbaijani diaspora in Russia. We call this strategic partnership.

“[But] Azerbaijan, unlike Armenia, is not an ally of Russia. We have a politico-military union, [and] several agreements on mutual assistance—including military—with Armenia.”