YEREVAN (Noyan Tapan) — Russian President Boris Yeltsin supports ratification of the Russo-Armenian Treaty on Friendship and Cooperation–a Russian Foreign Ministry envoy Vsevolod Oleandrov said.
Oleandrov–who headed a Russian delegation last week for talks on bilateral relations with Armenia–as well as the fate of the Russian military base in Armenia–discussed the treaty on Russian public television–ORT.
The treaty was concluded in 1991–however–it has not yet been ratified by the parliamen’s of both countries–Oleandrov said–noting its importance for Russia.
Oleandrov stressed that President Yeltsin had instructed that the treaty be ratified without any pre-conditions.
Several members of the Russian State Dumalower house of parliamenthave recently said that ratification of the treaty and the agreement on the Russian military base in Armenia’should be postponed until Armenia’settles its problems with Azerbaijan.
During the delegation’s recent visit to Armenia–a draft of a new accord on friendship and cooperation between the two countries was prepared.