Members of Armenian parliament visit Helena, Yellowstone

Several members of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia are visiting Helena and other parts of Montana this week, following an agenda peppered with visits with state officials, learning about the American political system, touring Yellowstone National Park and getting a taste of life in the Big Sky State.

The six-member group arrived March 31 in a visit hosted by WorldMontana, an affiliate of Global Ties that participates in the International Visitor Leadership Program sponsored by the U.S. State Department. This was WorldMontana's first in-person program since 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Stops included meetings with the Montana Legislative Division, Secretary of State’s Office and various state lawmakers, a visit with Lt. Gov. Kristen Juras, tours of the Helena Independent Record and Montana Historical Society, a stop at the Commissioner of Political Practices Office and a visit with the Lewis and Clark County elections office.

“They had a lot of questions about the school elections, especially about the differences between how their country runs their school system and how we run our school system,” said Connor Fitzpatrick, elections division supervisor. “Their government is more involved.”

“They were a great bunch,” he said.

The Armenia contingent will be in Helena through Thursday, according to their agenda.

Other stops on the agenda include a visit to the office of Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., a visit to the Montana Department of Commerce, a presentation with Helena Rotary International Club and dinner at the Montana Club.

The group also met with Dave Hunter, a U.S. political and parliamentary consultant based in Montana, and was to meet with Patricia Cotter, former state Supreme Court justice.

During their visit to the Independent Record, they said mining is the No. 1 industry in Armenia, but that most people work in agriculture. Although there are about 8 million Armenians living throughout the world, only about 3 million live in Armenia. 

They also said they are geographically located so that both Russians and Ukrainians visit their country. They said Russia is a strategic partner.

They said there are 107 members of their parliament, comprised of three main factions.

Separate group photos were taken during their visit to the Independent Record, with members saying they were not allowed to have photos taken with other factions. 

WorldMontana hosts nearly 150 international leaders through this and other programs each year. Participants may include parliament members or international leaders in the fields of environmental affairs, local government, media, education, human rights, law, e-commerce, management of nonprofit organizations, livestock and wildlife management or foreign affairs.

Alexandra "Sasha" Fendrick, executive director of WorldMontana, said the tours provide a people-to-people experience.

"They are professional politicians, but they are also people," she said.