Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said that a record was achieved in trade with Armenia, suggesting to start new projects and inviting Armenian entrepreneurs to work more actively in the Russian market, Interfax reported.

"The governmental level is actively working to strengthen trade and economic cooperation, and despite the difficult external situation, our cooperation is successfully developing," Mishustin said at a meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in Almaty on Thursday.

According to him, Russia is a leading foreign trade partner and the main investor in Armenia's economy. "In January-November 2022, trade turnover grew by 77 percent compared to the same period last year, it exceeded $4 billion 100 million, which is a record for today in our mutual trade," the Russian government head stated.

"The volume of accumulated Russian investments is about $2 billion, more than 40 leading Russian companies work in the Armenian market and are among Armenia's largest taxpayers," Mishustin added.

"We suggest launching new joint projects more actively," the Russian prime minister said to Pashinyan.

In his opinion, the projects may concern industrial integration, peaceful atom, energy, transport, logistics, digital technologies. "Armenian entrepreneurs now have excellent opportunities to work in our market due to the departure of unfriendly states," Mishustin believes.

He specified that he means not only large businesses but also small and medium-sized enterprises.

"We have a new dynamic in the sphere of trade and economic relations and mutual trade, we have a very good, big growth," the Armenian Prime Minister agreed. "We are doing well in the economic sphere," the media quoted Nikol Pashinyan as saying.

He thanked the Russian side for promptly resolving emerging issues.

"We sincerely value our allied and partnership relations with Armenia. Our countries have good fraternal relations based on the historical friendship of the Russian and Armenian peoples," Mishustin assured.

He added that "traditionally special importance is attached to education, about 5 thousand Armenian students study at Russian universities, for the upcoming academic year a quota of 250 scholarships by the Russian government has been set."

The head of the Russian government conveyed Russian President Vladimir Putin's best wishes to Pashinyan.