Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan hosted Federation Council Speaker of the Russian Federal Assembly Valentina Matvienko in Yerevan during her official visit to Armenia. The visit included discussions with Armenia’s top leadership and culminated in a session of the Armenia–Russia Commission for Interparliamentary Cooperation.

During the meeting, PM Pashinyan addressed the current dynamics in Armenian–Russian relations. Matvienko, in turn, thanked her hosts for the warm reception and reaffirmed Russia’s commitment to continuing its relationship with Armenia based on mutual respect and friendship.

She dismissed speculation of a bilateral crisis. “There are widespread claims of a crisis of trust between Russia and Armenia. I do not share that feeling. On the contrary, Armenia—like us—has shown interest in further developing our bilateral cooperation,” Matvienko said.

She also stressed there were no personal issues between PM Pashinyan and Russian President Vladimir Putin. “The Prime Minister conveyed his greetings to our President and especially emphasized that, despite any speculation, he and Vladimir Vladimirovich have always had, and continue to have, constructive and meaningful relations,” she stated.

Speaker of the Armenian Parliament Alen Simonyan described the interparliamentary commission as “an effective platform for open and productive dialogue between legislative and executive bodies,” calling the session “an important step toward strengthening dialogue between the two countries and peoples.”

The session coincided with the 80th anniversary of the Allied victory in World War II and served to honor historical cooperation between the nations. Both Simonyan and Matvienko emphasized the importance of safeguarding historical truth against revisionism.

Matvienko highlighted the role of Armenians in the war: “Around 600,000 Armenians fought on the frontlines. Over 100 received the Hero of the USSR title, and around 30 were awarded the Order of Glory.” She also praised the Armenian Church and people for supporting military units and families of soldiers during the war.

Pashinyan’s participation in the Moscow Victory Day parade was also noted by Matvienko as a meaningful gesture of shared historical memory and solidarity.

At a separate meeting, Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan hosted Matvienko’s delegation. Both sides reaffirmed the importance of developing bilateral cooperation across parliamentary, economic, and cultural sectors. They also discussed the upcoming “Days of Armenian Culture” to be held in Russia this fall.