Armenia remains Russia's strategic partner in the South Caucasus, Russia's First Vice Premier Sergey Ivanov said at a joint news conference with Armenian Prime Minister Serge Sargsyan. Armenia-NATO cooperation program within IPAP is not an alternative to the Armenian-Russian partnership, he said. "Our strategic partnership rests not only on the presence of Russian military bases but also on the commonness of cultures and whole scope of relations," Ivanov underscored.

For his part, RA PM Serge Sargsyan noted that creation of extra dividing lines in the region will not do good to Armenia's security structure. "It's true, Russia reduces its presence in the region but it doesn't mean that other states should expand their presence instead," he said.