“The Russian Federation contributes and intends to continue contributing to economic prosperity, true sovereignty and strengthening the security of the Armenian people, including through consistent, very difficult and time-consuming work to promote the peace agenda in the region,” the Russian Embassy in Yerevan said in a statement.
“Russia has always stood and will stand with our brotherly country - and not in words but in deeds,” added the embassy.
“We will continue to support the Armenian people’s democratic aspirations, sovereignty, and security,” read a statement released by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the occasion.
Blinken said U.S.-Armenian relations are based on “shared values” and praised Yerevan’s “willingness to support efforts to bring greater stability to the region.”
“We offer our condolences for the lives lost in recent attacks and we remain committed to working with you and other parties to promote a peaceful resolution to the conflict,” he said, alluding to last week’s deadly fighting between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces.
Both the U.S. and Russia scrambled to stop the border clashes that left more than 200 Armenian soldiers dead.
In a September 13 phone call, Blinken urged Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to “cease hostilities” and voiced serious concern over “reported strikes against settlements and civilian infrastructure inside Armenia.” Visiting Yerevan a few days later, U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi accused Azerbaijan of military aggression against Armenia.
Despite Russia’s military alliance with Armenia, Moscow has refrained from publicly siding with Yerevan or blaming Baku for the border clashes. Armenian officials have criticized what they see as a lack of Russian support.
In a congratulatory message to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian sent on Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin called for “further building up the entire range of constructive bilateral ties” between the two countries. Putin also said that a “consistent implementation” of Armenian-Azerbaijani agreements brokered by Moscow is essential for achieving a lasting peace in the region.