Valentina Matviyenko (left) lays flowers at the Armenian Genocide Memorial in Yerevan (Source: Arsen Sargsyan/News.am)

YEREVAN (News.am)—On Tuesday morning, a delegation led by Chairperson Valentina Matviyenko of the Federation Council of Russia, visited the Armenian Genocide Memorial in Yerevan.

Matviyenko was accompanied by Armenian National Assembly Vice President Hermine Naghdalyan and Russian Ambassador to Armenia Ivan Volinkin.

Matviyenko laid a wreath and placed flowers at the monument, paying tribute to the 1.5 million victims of the genocide.

The speaker of the Russian Federation Council also toured the exhibits in the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute, where she was reportedly seen crying.

At the end of the tour, Matviyenko signed the Book of Condolences of the Museum-Institute.

President Serzh Sarkisian later met with Matvienko and the Russian delegation.

Sarkisian offered his condolences over the crash of a Russian airliner over the weekend in Egypt, which killed all 224 passengers on board. Sarkisian offered to pay tribute to the victims with a moment of silence.

Sarkisian and the Russian delegation discussed issues regarding Armenia and Russia’s bilateral agenda and considered future steps towards the deepening and reinforcement of the Armenian-Russian strategic partnership. They also emphasized the activity of the Armenian-Russian Inter-Parliamentary Commission.

Urgent international issues and regional challenges were also discussed, including the current stage of negotiations on the Karabakh conflict.

The importance of decentralized cooperation was also discussed, which, they said, is enhanced by the activity of regular inter-regional forums.  Sarkisian welcomed Matvienko’s participation in the fourth Armenian-Russian Inter-Regional Forum taking place in Yerevan tomorrow.

According to Sarkisian, the forum is an important platform for discussing urgent issues, developing effective mechanisms and determining new perspectives of decentralized cooperation.