Interfax - Russia & CIS General Newswire
Wednesday 4:19 PM MSK
Russia to develop cooperation with Armenia - Duma speaker
MOSCOW. Feb 14
The development of a strategic partnership between Armenia and Russia
requires new forms of cooperation, including in the parliamentary
sector, State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said at the opening of
an exhibition dedicated to Armenia at the State Duma on Wednesday.
"It is very important for us as part of the parliamentary dimension to
create conditions which will ensure the continuation of this
development in the future, as well. We would like to point out that
Armenia is a strategic partner for us, and we, in turn, will proceed
to new forms of cooperation and the development of relations which
will make it possible for us to get even closer, enable us to continue
carrying out strategic tasks together, collectively, taking into
consideration that the ongoing dialogue between our states is based on
friendship, cooperation, and trust, and we value it greatly," Volodin
said.
A law permitting entry into Armenia with internal Russian passports
has been adopted in Armenia, and the number of Russian tourists has
increased greatly as a result, he said.
"And our trade in goods has significantly increased and reached about
44.5%. Our countries are dynamically developing and moving toward each
other," Volodin said.
Armenian National Assembly Chair Ara Babloyan, in turn, said that
Armenia passed the bill allowing Russian citizens to travel there with
internal passports on purpose, to show that it is open to Russians.
Volodin also gave the floor to State Duma member and polar explorer
Artur Chilingarov, who noted that he is an ethnic Armenian and has
always maintained ties with his ancestral land.
Volodin expressed hope that there the Armenian parliament will have
"its own Chilingarov," as well, in order to serve as a symbol of
Russia's and the Russian language's special relevance for Armenia's
supreme legislative body.
On the same day, the speakers of the two parliaments also held talks,
during which Babloyan noted that constant contacts between the State
Duma and the Armenian National Assembly, including through the
interparliamentary cooperation commission, confirm that there is
mutual interest.
"We will continue coordinating our positions at interparliamentary
venues, including at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Collective
Security Treaty Organization [CSTO PA], the Parliamentary Assembly of
the OSCE, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic
Cooperation [PABSEC], the CIS Inter-Parliamentary Assembly, and the
Inter-Parliamentary Union [IPU]," Babloyan said.
The parties discussed hosting OSCE PA events in Yerevan and St.
Petersburg this year.
"The traditional partnership that has developed between our peoples
for centuries is a solid foundation for further Russian-Armenian
cooperation. Our countries maintain a constructive dialogue at the
highest level, parliamentary institutions interact with each other,
cultural and educational ties are being expanded," Volodin said.
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