Ararat Mirzoyan Meets with Valentina Matviyenko in St. Petersburg

Within the framework of the CIS Inter-Parliamentary Assembly, the President of the National Assembly of Armenia, Ararat Mirzoyan, met with the Chairperson of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, Valentina Matviyenko, in St. Petersburg.

Welcoming Ararat Mirzoyan, Valentina Matviyenko emphasized the importance of resuming bilateral meetings despite the COVID-19 pandemic. The Federation Council speaker expressed satisfaction with the existing dialogue between the two parliaments and expressed confidence that cooperation in various formats would further intensify alongside overcoming the pandemic.

Valentina Matviyenko highlighted the significance of the trilateral statement on the cessation of hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh and the presence of Russian peacekeepers in the conflict zone, which is a crucial guarantee for ensuring the ceasefire regime. She reaffirmed the Russian side's stance that the Azerbaijani side must return all prisoners of war and other detained individuals to their homeland.

Regarding the activities of the CIS Inter-Parliamentary Assembly, Matviyenko praised the effectiveness of the Armenian parliamentarians' work within the organization.

Expressing gratitude for the reception, Ararat Mirzoyan noted that the strategic nature of relations between Armenia and Russia continues to develop stably across various sectors. He presented the current situation surrounding the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict following the signing of the trilateral statement on November 9, underlining the importance of the immediate return of Armenian prisoners of war and other detained individuals by Azerbaijan.

The Speaker of the National Assembly added that such actions by the Azerbaijani side create an unfavorable atmosphere for work on reopening regional infrastructure.

During the discussions, the parties reached an agreement regarding the implementation of the CIS Inter-Parliamentary Assembly's observer mission during the forthcoming snap parliamentary elections in Armenia.

At the end of the meeting, Ararat Mirzoyan awarded Valentina Matviyenko with the National Assembly's gold medal for her significant contribution to strengthening inter-parliamentary ties between the two countries and for Maral Najaryan’s release from Azerbaijani captivity.