Russian and Armenian Defence Ministers strengthened military cooperation within the CSTO

Army General Sergei Shoigu, Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation, and Vagharshak Harutyunyan, Minister of Defence of the Republic of Armenia, met today in Moscow.
“We are strengthening our military cooperation both bilaterally and within international structures, primarily the CSTO (Collective Security Treaty Organization),” Sergei Shoigu said at the opening of the working meeting.
According to the press service of the Russian Ministry of Defence, the Russian Defence Minister congratulated Vagharshak Harutyunyan and the Armenian people on the state holiday: the Republic Day.
“Let me congratulate you on the state holiday that the Republic celebrates today. The fact that you managed to come to Moscow on this day testifies to a still very high level of relations between our countries and to the continuing development and deepening of our strategic partnership,” said the Russian Defence Minister.
According to Sergei Shoigu, agreements on the creation of a joint group of Russian and Armenian Armed Forces, as well as a Joint Regional Air Defence System in the Caucasus collective security region are being successfully implemented.
The Russian Defence Minister stressed that “the 102nd Russian military base in Armenia, which we regard as an important regional security asset, is a testament to the high level of bilateral cooperation.”
Sergei Shoigu invited his colleagues from the Republic of Armenia to the events of the Russian Defence Ministry: “We will be glad to see you at the 9th Moscow International Security Conference in June. In August or September, we expect representatives from the Republic of Armenia to attend the International Army Games and the International Military and Technical Forum Army 2021,” the Russian Defence Minister said.
Sergei Shoigu suggested discussing regional security issues.
“We will discuss regional security issues related to the work of peacekeeping forces in Nagorno-Karabakh, but also, of course, all the acute issues that have emerged so far,” the Russian Defence Minister stressed. In his turn, Vagharshak Harutyunyan said, “Today we will discuss all the issues of our cooperation, which, in my assessment, is developing very successfully.”