"Under our government, we never discussed this issue with our Russian  colleagues" - Pashinyan about Lavrov`s statement

ArmInfo. The new government of  Armenia did not discuss with Russia the issue of documented  guarantees about the absence of foreign military in biolabs in  Armenia.

 This was told to journalists on December 19th by the Acting  President. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, commenting on the words of  Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov."I can say that before such an  agreement was discussed with the Armenian authorities. Under our  government, we have never discussed this issue with our Russian  colleagues," said the head of the Armenian government.As for the  statement of the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry on the  preparation of such a document, Pashinyan said that it is necessary  to clarify in more detail with the head of the Russian Foreign  Ministry about what exactly this is about.

Recall, on December 17, on the air of Radio Komsomolskaya Pravda,  Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that Moscow and Yerevan  are currently preparing a document that should guarantee the absence  of foreign military in biolaboratories on the territory of Armenia.  Answering the question of how Russia intends to resolve the issue of  the existence and active work of foreign biolabs in post-Soviet  countries, including Armenia and Georgia, Sergei Lavrov said that the  process of preparing a document is being completed with Armenia,  which will guarantee the absence of any risks and threats  transparency.  "With Armenia, we are completing the process of  preparing a document that will guarantee the non- presence of foreign  military there, which will ensure that everything that is done there  will be transparent in terms of guarantees that there are no threats  and risks," the minister said, adding that a similar agreement is  also being prepared with Kazakhstan.The Armenian Foreign Ministry  responded to this statement by Lavrov. 

"From the context of what has been said, it becomes clear that we are  talking about bio-laboratories.  Cooperation in the control of the  sanitary-epidemiological situation is part of the agenda of our  country.  Armenia fulfills all its international obligations towards  the peaceful use of scientific research in the microbiological  sphere, "the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.Earlier, Kommersant  wrote that the Russian side is negotiating with Armenia about signing  a document that would guarantee a ban on the use of biolaboratories  by third countries with financial support from the United States. It  was noted that if the negotiations are crowned with success, then  American experts will not have access to the laboratories.  During  his visit to Moscow, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in  an interview with the Kommersant newspaper that, on his personal  instructions, Russian specialists were admitted to laboratories  located in Armenia that deal with biomaterial research. He stressed  that the representatives of the Russian Federation never had and will  not have problems with access there.