Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Wednesday sent congratulatory messages to President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev of Russia, on the latter’s national holiday: Russia Day.

“The exemplary relations (…) between our countries continue to be strengthened in the spirit of allied and strategic partnership,” Pashinyan’s message addressed to Putin reads, in particular. “The strong brotherly ties that link Armenia and Russia, as well as our active political dialogue serve as a solid basis for the development of trade and economic, military and political, cultural, and humanitarian cooperation.”

“I would like to note with satisfaction the considerable strengthening of the Armenian-Russian allied partnership,” PM Pashinyan noted, in particular, in his message addressed to Medvedev. “I am convinced that the consistent development of strategic partnership between Armenia and Russia fully stems from the interests of the peoples of our [two] countries.”