Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived at Joint Base Andrews on Wednesday afternoon local time for a state visit to the United States at the invitation of U.S. President Donald Trump.

Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, were greeted by Trump and his wife, Melania Trump, at the airport in a rare planeside welcome.

American children presented flowers to Xi and Peng. The honor guards lined up on both sides of the red carpet to pay their respects. The welcome ceremony also included a 21-gun salute, the playing of the national anthems of both countries and a military flyover.

In a written speech, Xi extended sincere greetings and best wishes to the U.S. people on behalf of the Chinese people, according to the Chinese Xinhua news agency.

The trip is Xi’s first visit to Washington since 2015.

China and the United States are both great countries, and the two peoples are both great peoples, Xi said in the speech, adding that the two peoples have maintained friendly exchanges for a long time and their interests are deeply intertwined.

China and the United States should be partners, not rivals, he said, noting that the “great rejuvenation” of the Chinese nation and “making America great again” can go hand in hand, and that the two countries can help each other succeed and advance the well-being of the whole world.

Xi noted that he and Trump agreed to build a constructive China-U.S. relationship of strategic stability during Trump’s visit to China in May, which has provided strategic guidance for the future development of bilateral ties.

China and the United States should work in the same direction, promote a stable relationship featuring cooperation as the mainstay, moderate competition, manageable differences, and promises of peace, Xi said.

He said China and the United States, as two major countries, should find a right way to get along in the new era.

Xi emphasized that the world is developing and times are changing, but the historical logic of peaceful coexistence between China and the United States has not changed, the goodwill of friendly exchanges between the two peoples has not changed, and the general expectations of the international community for China and the United States have not changed.

Xi said he looks forward to having in-depth exchanges with Trump on major issues concerning bilateral relations and the world situation, constantly enriching the connotation of the constructive China-U.S. relationship of strategic stability, and expanding the space for exchanges and cooperation in various fields between the two countries.

Xi said he also looks forward to engaging extensively with people from all walks of life in the United States to deepen friendship.

With joint efforts, Xi said he believes the visit is sure to be fruitful, and will enhance the well-being of the two peoples and add hope for world peace.

On Xi’s way from the airport to his hotel by car, representatives of overseas Chinese and students gathered on both sides of the road, waving the national flags of China and the United States to warmly welcome his visit.

At the state dinner scheduled for September 24, the heads of the two countries’ largest companies are expected to attend, including Apple’s Tim Cook, Nvidia’s Jensen Huang, and OpenAI’s Sam Altman, according to CNN. 

The United States has invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to a December G20 meeting in ‌Miami, Florida where he could hold a summit with President Donald Trump, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said, according to Reuters.

The Kremlin said Russia would consider the invitation.

Rubio, speaking after meeting Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the sidelines ⁠of the UN General Assembly, said the US remained open to engaging with Russia on the war in Ukraine, despite stalled efforts to bring an end to the conflict.

It is still too early to discuss a possible meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump at the G20 summit, as no decision has yet been made.

According to RIA Novosti, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov made the remarks.

“It is still too early to talk about this. No decision has yet been made,” Peskov told reporters in response to a question about a possible meeting between the Russian and US leaders at the G20 summit.

Earlier, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington had invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to the G20 summit, which is due to take place in Miami in December.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia was grateful for the invitation extended to Putin to attend the G20 summit and that it would be considered.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan met with Finnish President Alexander Stubb in New York on the sidelines of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly.

The Prime Minister’s Office said in a readout that PM Pashinyan and President Stubb noted with satisfaction that there is positive momentum in political dialogue between the two countries, reflecting their mutual interest in further strengthening Armenia-Finland relations.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and President Alexander Stubb emphasized the significant potential for strengthening economic cooperation. The importance of taking consistent joint steps to realize this potential was highlighted.

They also exchanged views on Armenia-European Union relations, as well as regional developments.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan met with his Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis on the sidelines of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

The prime ministers discussed the consistent development of friendly bilateral relations between Armenia and Greece, according to a readout from Pashinyan’s office.

The sides expressed readiness to closely cooperate to elevate Armenia-Greece relations to a new level. The importance of organizing mutual high-level visits was emphasized.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis addressed the expansion of bilateral economic ties, as well as other topics related to the bilateral agenda.

They also exchanged views on Armenia-EU relations, as well as programs related to regional cooperation.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan met with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in New York on the sidelines of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly.

The Prime Minister and the European Commission President discussed issues related to the Armenia-EU cooperation agenda, according to a readout from Pashinyan’s office.

The Prime Minister highlighted the importance of the EU’s assistance to Armenia’s economic diversification process and the decisions being adopted for this purpose. PM Pashinyan also emphasized the EU’s support for the effective implementation of democratic reforms in Armenia.

President Ursula von der Leyen noted that the EU will continue supporting the advancement of the Armenian government’s programs and the development of cooperation in various areas.

They also addressed topics of regional significance.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has said that the EU partnership with Armenia is moving “fast, forward and stronger than ever.”

“Dear Nikol Pashinyan, it is good to see you as always,” von der Leyen said on X after meeting the Armenian Prime Minister in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

“We are bringing Armenia closer to the EU, while working on a peaceful and prosperous South Caucasus. We are building roads and bridges with our €200 million connectivity package. And bridges between people, with our peace-fostering investments. Our Autonomous Trade Measures will open new opportunities. With 80% of Armenia’s exports to the EU market now tariff free. We expect the final adoption of these measures by EU legislators tomorrow – in record time! And finally, we are strengthening energy security. So: the EU-Armenia partnership is moving fast, forward and stronger than ever,” the European Commission President said on Wednesday.

The trade liberalization measures mentioned by von der Leyen were formally adopted by the EU Council on Thursday.

The Information and Public Relations Center of the Armenian Prime Minister’s Office has published the report titled “Report on the Crisis That Has Emerged in the Church as a Result of the Actions of the de facto Head of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church and a Number of Senior Clergy, and on Ways to Resolve It.”

The center said in a press release that the preparation of the report stems from the Programme of the Government of the Republic of Armenia for 2026–2031 and was carried out on the instruction of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

“The Report was prepared by the Information and Public Relations Center SNCO of the Office of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia in accordance with the statutory objectives and functions of the Center. The objective of the Report is to document the crisis that has emerged in the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church (AAHC) based on the examination of open sources and to propose ways to resolve it. This Report does not in any way contest the doctrinal foundations, the Sacred Tradition, or the canonical order of the Church. On the contrary, it documents violations of those very foundations in defence of the identity and autonomy of the Church. The Report emphasizes that the reform is to be carried out by the Church itself—through the conciliar participation of its hierarchy and the faithful—while the State acts strictly within the scope of its constitutional and legislative powers. Exclusively widely known information available in open sources and accessible by lawful means was used in the Report, supported by more than 250 citations and references. In each area, the facts and testimonies were correlated with the relevant provisions of the AAHC Book of Canon Law, the Apostolic Canons, the 1945 Charter on Convening the National Ecclesiastical Assembly, other canonical documents, and the legislation of the Republic of Armenia. The Report documents 16 findings manifesting the crisis. Among them are: violation of the vow of celibacy and impunity for breaches of integrity; arbitrary persecution and defrocking of clergy; financial opacity and non-purpose use of Church-owned property; ordinations based on kinship and clan-based governance; politicization of the Holy Altar and the spread of foreign influence; the 27-year obstruction of the National Ecclesiastical Assembly and the absence of a unified Constitution; splits in the dioceses of the Diaspora. The Report proposes a five-step roadmap for overcoming the crisis,” the Information and Public Relations Center said in a press release.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has responded to a report prepared by the Public Relations and Information Centre of the Office of the Prime Minister on the crisis in the Armenian Apostolic Church and ways to resolve it.

“Dear people, the Public Relations and Information Centre SNCO of the Office of the Prime Minister has published a report on the crisis that has arisen in the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church as a result of the activities of the Church’s de facto head and a group of high-ranking clergy, and on ways to resolve it.

“The report was prepared in accordance with the Government Programme, which contains relevant provisions, and was prepared on my instructions. Nevertheless, after reviewing the draft report, I concluded for myself that the actual situation established in the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church is much more serious, much more critical than I had initially imagined.

“If we were to summarise the report in one sentence, it proves that the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church has been seized by Ktrich Nersisyan and a group of clergy and laypeople who support him.

“To see this for yourselves, simply read the report. Read it and see for yourselves. We will return to this subject,” Pashinyan said in a video posted on his Facebook page.

On September 24, a report entitled “On the crisis that has arisen in the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church as a result of the activities of the Church’s de facto head and a group of high-ranking clergy, and ways to resolve it”, prepared by the Public Relations and Information Centre SNCO on the instructions of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, was published.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan met with U.S. Chamber of Commerce representatives at a luncheon on the sidelines of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly.

U.S. Chamber of Commerce Senior Vice President for International Affairs Khush Choksy thanked the Prime Minister for the opportunity to meet and noted that the Chamber’s members represent various sectors of the economy. He added that the purpose of the meeting was to learn about economic developments in Armenia, investment opportunities, and the business environment, according to a readout. 

Prime Minister Pashinyan addressed Armenia-U.S. trade and economic ties and noted that significant developments have already taken place as a result of the documents signed during his meeting with President Trump on August 8 of last year. In particular, the Prime Minister mentioned the establishment of two major artificial intelligence factories in Armenia. Pashinyan expressed confidence that bilateral ties will continue to develop and strengthen in various areas.

The Prime Minister also addressed the peace established between Armenia and Azerbaijan, resulting regional developments, and the opportunities arising from it. In particular, Nikol Pashinyan spoke about the implementation of the TRIPP project aimed at unblocking regional communication routes.

Pashinyan also presented developments in various sectors of Armenia’s economy, existing opportunities, and the reforms and programs being implemented by the Government to consistently improve the business environment.

During the meeting, the Prime Minister answered questions from the business representatives.

Following the meeting, the launch of the Armenia-U.S. Business Council was announced.