Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced that Russia remains Armenia's main economic partner, and emphasized the growth of bilateral trade and the importance of joint programs.

He made this statement during a meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan. According to Putin, since the beginning of 2026, the amount of trade between Russia and Armenia has amounted to $2.5 billion.

Also, the Russian leader pointed to the results of Armenia's membership in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU): during this time, the country's GDP has tripled, and exports of Armenian goods have increased 10 times.

“Russia remains Armenia’s main economic partner,” Putin said, and stressed that Russian companies play a significant role in ensuring Armenia’s energy security and are among the largest taxpayers of the country’s state budget. Particular attention was paid to the future of relations between Moscow and Yerevan in the context of Armenia’s aspirations to join the European Union (EU). Putin recalled that the parties had repeatedly discussed this issue.

“Armenia’s aspiration to join the European Union is the country’s legitimate right. However, it creates certain complications, including from the point of view of being in the EAEU,” the Russian leader noted. According to Putin, it is important for Moscow to understand Yerevan’s future strategy.

“The sooner Armenia decides on EU membership, the better. We [i.e. Russia] need to understand how we will develop relations in the future,” he said. At the same time, Putin stressed that Russia is in favor of maintaining constructive ties with Armenia. “Moscow has always stood for the development of friendly and mutually beneficial relations with Yerevan. This stems from the fundamental interests of the Russian Federation and the Armenian people," the Russian president said.

During the talk, Putin touched also upon the implementation of joint Armenian-Russian programs in peaceful nuclear energy, transport, and digital economy.