Days of Petersburg beginning in Armenia

ITAR-TASS, Russia
Sept 13 2005

YEREVAN, September 13 (Itar-Tass) – The Days of St. Petersburg are
beginning in Armenia on Tuesday that will become a remarkable event
within the framework of the Year of Russia held in the republic.

St. Petersburg governor Valentina Matviyenko and plenipotentiary
representative of the Russian president in the North-Eastern federal
district Ilya Klebanov are arriving in Yerevan on Tuesday to take
part in an extensive programme of the event.

They are accompanied by a large group of representatives of the
business community and culture workers of St. Petersburg. Armenian
President Robert Kocharyan will receive the delegation from the city
on the Neva River. The delegation will also hold meetings at the
Yerevan mayor’s office, with students and teachers of Russian-Armenian
(Slavic) State University. The Russian businesspeople will visit
the Armenia-Expo-2005 exhibition and take part in a Russian-Armenian
business meeting within the framework of the exhibition.

An exhibition of paintings of artists from Leningrad will be unveiled
at the National Picture Gallery of Armenia. All the 23 paintings on
display will be gifted to the gallery after the exhibition is over. A
concert of Russian and Armenian masters of arts will be held at the
Arno Babadzhanyan concert hall.

St. Petersburg is one of the main Armenia’s partners among Russian
regions. The city has traditional close ties with Armenia, especially
with Yerevan in the humanitarian sphere, in particular.

A branch of the St. Petersburg-based Foreign Economic Relations,
Economics and Law Institute is successfully operating in the
Armenian capital and an office of the Pulkovo air carrier is working.
Passenger planes of Pulkovo are performing regular flights from St.
Petersburg to Armenia and back.

The 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg was widely celebrated in
Armenia. President Robert Kocharyan visited the city to attend
the jubilee events. A large Armenian community is living in St.
Petersburg and Armenia’s Consulate General is operating there.

According to all accounts, direct bilateral contacts today have wide
development possibilities.