Robert Kocharyan denies meeting with senior Russian official in Moscow

Former Armenian President Robert Kocharyan has denied reports suggesting that he met with Sergey Kiriyenko, First Deputy Chief of Staff of the Russian Presidential Administration, during a recent visit to Moscow. Kiriyenko oversees, among other areas, relations with Armenia.

Responding to a journalist’s question on Tuesday, Kocharyan said he had been in the Russian capital about a month earlier for private matters and not for official meetings.

“I was there for just two days – Saturday and Sunday – on personal business and returned at noon on Monday,” Kocharyan explained. “If I had intended to hold official meetings, I would have scheduled the trip for weekdays instead. But I understand that whenever I’m in Moscow, such rumors tend to circulate."