The two sides announced no dates of the visit after the conversation which Russia’s upper house of parliament, the Federation Council, said took place “at the initiative of the Armenian side.” According to the Russian readout of the call, Simonian and Matvienko discussed the “international and regional agenda.”
“The interlocutors also discussed details of the upcoming official visit of the Federation Council President to Yerevan at the invitation of her Armenian counterpart in light of the need to give a new impetus to Russian-Armenian interstate relations. In the words of Valentina Matvienko, the visit needs be substantively prepared,” added the statement.
Simonian’s office said they talked about “organizational issues of the planned official visit to Armenia.” It did not elaborate.
One of Matvienko’s deputies, Yury Vorobyev, told journalists in November that the visit may take place early this year. The Armenian newspaper Hraparak reported afterwards that Matvienko will likely travel to Yerevan “in mid-February.”
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov noted preparations for the trip after holding talks with his visiting Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan last month. Lavrov said Moscow hopes to combine it with the next Russian-Armenian Interregional Conference also planned in Yerevan.
Simonian, who is a leading political ally of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian, has repeatedly raised eyebrows in Moscow with his public criticism of Russia’s policy on Armenia and actions in the region. Last April, he criticized the Russian invasion of Ukraine while attending and addressing a meeting in Spain of the fellow parliament speakers from European Union member states. He also accused Moscow of meddling in Armenia’s internal affairs through a “campaign of threats and disinformation.”
Senior Russian lawmakers strongly condemned Simonian’s speech. Matvienko described it as “Russophobic” and “shameful,” saying that Simonian “crossed all the red lines.”
Earlier this month, another senior member of the Armenian parliament, Sargis Khandanian, visited Ukraine and “on behalf of Armenia’s National Assembly” praised Ukrainian lawmakers for their “courageous activities in difficult conditions for the country.”