ISTANBUL

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan agreed to withdraw Russian military personnel from several regions of Armenia, the Kremlin said on Thursday.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed the agreement in response to a question on whether Putin and Pashinyan discussed the withdrawal of Russian military personnel during a meeting held in Moscow a day earlier, according to Russian state news agency TASS.

Late Wednesday, Putin hosted the visiting Armenian premier following a summit of the Eurasian Economic Union.

During the meeting, Putin invited Pashinyan to discuss security issues in the region, hinting at controversies over Armenia's participation in the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), a Russia-led military bloc.

Armenia announced on May 8 that it would not partake in the financing of the CSTO.

It was the latest in a series of steps the country had taken to distance itself from the Russian-led security alliance.