YEREVAN. – Even though Armenia changed it foreign policy direction and is rapidly going toward the Russian Federation and the Customs Union, no warmth is observed—at least openly—in relations between Presidents Serzh Sargsyan and Vladimir Putin, Zhoghovurd daily reports.    

“Putin and Sargsyan did not meet during the opening ceremony of an Armenian church in Moscow. Putin did not visit. 

“It turns out they [also] did not meet in Sochi [, Russia,] at the session of the CSTO [i.e., the Collective Security Treaty Organization] Council. It officially became known that Putin held private talks with Kyrgyzstan President Almazbek Atambayev and Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, but he did not have a private talk with Serzh Sargsyan.

“It is interesting why Putin evades Sargsyan,” Zhoghovurd writes.     

To note, following the talks that were held on September 3 in Moscow between Armenian and Russian Presidents Serzh Sargsyan and Vladimir Putin, Sargsyan had announced that Armenia plans to join the Customs Union and subsequently engage in the formation of the Eurasian Economic Union.