YEREVAN. – Russia and Armenia have special relationship, Vladimir Putin said during his meeting with Serzh Sargsyan.

He noted it is more than strategic partnership, taking into account historic roots of the cooperation.

“Now you recalled the military base in Gyumri. I would really like (we have much talked about this during today’s meeting in Gyumri and during our conversation in the car, on the plane), all of us would like regional problems not to be solved with weapons, but through diplomacy, through arrangements acceptable to all countries,” Putin said.

Putin added “we have a lot of problems inherited from the past”, but in any event “we must be guided by the interests of people” and only in this case the solution will be found.

Vladimir Putin started his Armenia trip with a visit to the 102nd Russian military base in Gyumri. Gyumri also hosted the third Armenian-Russian interregional forum.