Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan will travel to Moscow on January 20 for a working visit, during which he will hold talks with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov amid the recent escalation of Armenian-Russian relations.
According to the spokesperson for the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ani Badalyan, the visit will include a meeting between Ararat Mirzoyan and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, followed by a joint press conference.
The Armenian minister's visit comes during a period of noticeable cooling in relations between the two countries. Tensions have risen after the Armenian government approved a bill on January 9 to initiate the country's accession process to the European Union. In response to this decision, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk compared it to "buying a ticket to the Titanic," warning of the consequences for the Armenian economy should the country leave the EAEU.
An additional factor contributing to the tension was Moscow's sharp reaction to the signing of a strategic cooperation agreement between Armenia and the United States on January 14 in Washington.
