ARMENIAN PM INVITES RUSSIA’S PUTIN TO VISIT YEREVAN

RIA Novosti
13:53 | 28/ 02/ 2009

YEREVAN, February 28 (RIA Novosti) – Armenian Prime Minister Tigran
Sargsyan said Saturday that during his working visit to Moscow on
Friday he invited his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to visit
Armenia.

"Putin accepted my invitation and we hope this year we will receive
the Russian prime minister," Sargsyan said, adding that the visit
would become an impetus to implement the programs on which mutual
agreements have been reached.

The Armenian premier said Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Viktor
Zubkov and Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak have also been invited.

At Friday’s meeting, Putin said Russia will grant Armenia a $500
million loan following approval by the lower house.

"We have almost finished working on the issue of granting Armenia
a $500 million loan, we are implementing this agreement. The budget
should be approved by the State Duma. I hope this will be completed
in the near future," he told Sargsyan.

Russia and Armenia signed a preliminary agreement on the stabilization
loan on February 9. In line with the agreement, the loan is granted
for 15 years with a four-year grace period.