Interfax - Russia & CIS General Newswire Wednesday 4:19 PM MSK Russia to develop cooperation with Armenia - Duma speaker MOSCOW. Feb 14 The development of a strategic partnership between Armenia and Russia requires new forms of cooperation, including in the parliamentary sector, State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said at the opening of an exhibition dedicated to Armenia at the State Duma on Wednesday. "It is very important for us as part of the parliamentary dimension to create conditions which will ensure the continuation of this development in the future, as well. We would like to point out that Armenia is a strategic partner for us, and we, in turn, will proceed to new forms of cooperation and the development of relations which will make it possible for us to get even closer, enable us to continue carrying out strategic tasks together, collectively, taking into consideration that the ongoing dialogue between our states is based on friendship, cooperation, and trust, and we value it greatly," Volodin said. A law permitting entry into Armenia with internal Russian passports has been adopted in Armenia, and the number of Russian tourists has increased greatly as a result, he said. "And our trade in goods has significantly increased and reached about 44.5%. Our countries are dynamically developing and moving toward each other," Volodin said. Armenian National Assembly Chair Ara Babloyan, in turn, said that Armenia passed the bill allowing Russian citizens to travel there with internal passports on purpose, to show that it is open to Russians. Volodin also gave the floor to State Duma member and polar explorer Artur Chilingarov, who noted that he is an ethnic Armenian and has always maintained ties with his ancestral land. Volodin expressed hope that there the Armenian parliament will have "its own Chilingarov," as well, in order to serve as a symbol of Russia's and the Russian language's special relevance for Armenia's supreme legislative body. On the same day, the speakers of the two parliaments also held talks, during which Babloyan noted that constant contacts between the State Duma and the Armenian National Assembly, including through the interparliamentary cooperation commission, confirm that there is mutual interest. "We will continue coordinating our positions at interparliamentary venues, including at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Collective Security Treaty Organization [CSTO PA], the Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation [PABSEC], the CIS Inter-Parliamentary Assembly, and the Inter-Parliamentary Union [IPU]," Babloyan said. The parties discussed hosting OSCE PA events in Yerevan and St. Petersburg this year. "The traditional partnership that has developed between our peoples for centuries is a solid foundation for further Russian-Armenian cooperation. Our countries maintain a constructive dialogue at the highest level, parliamentary institutions interact with each other, cultural and educational ties are being expanded," Volodin said. Mg mc kf