Armenian premier meets visiting senior NATO official in Yerevan

MOSCOW

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Thursday held talks with NATO Deputy Secretary General Radmila Shekerinska.

A statement by the Armenian premier's office said Pashinyan and Shekerinska discussed matters related to the development of the partnership between Yerevan and NATO, as well as cooperation with the alliance.

"Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan noted that Armenia attaches importance to cooperation with international partners, including NATO, in advancing the security and stability agenda in the region," the statement said.

It added that Shekerinska, for her part, expressed appreciation for the partnership between Armenia and NATO, thanking Pashinyan for a "productive" conversation.

The statement said the talks also touched upon developments following the signing of the joint declaration between Pashinyan, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, and US President Donald Trump at a trilateral summit at the White House in August.

In this regard, according to the readout, an exchange took place on steps aimed towards unblocking regional communications, particularly the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) and Yerevan's Crossroads of Peace project.

Earlier, Shekerinska also held talks in the Armenian capital with Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan, Parliamentary Speaker Alen Simonyan, and Defense Minister Suren Papikyan.

NATO announced Shekerinska's visit to Yerevan on Wednesday.

The declaration signed in Washington, D.C. aims to end decades of conflict between the two Southern Caucasus neighbors, with commitments to cease hostilities, reopen transport routes, and normalize relations.