Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to participate in the opening of a monument to Russian-Armenian friendship in the center of Yerevan, the Director of the Fourth Department of CIS countries at Russia's Foreign Ministry, Denis Gonchar, has told RIA Novosti.

"Prime Minister [Nikol Pashinyan] has invited Vladimir Putin to visit Armenia for the session of the CSTO Collective Security Council in the second half of the year. It is assumed that the Russian leader will take part in the opening of a monument to Russian-Armenian friendship in the center of Yerevan," Gonchar said.

Pashinyan extended the invitation during his April 19 trip to Moscow and said that it was in connection with the session of the CSTO Collective Security Council.

"As part of the rich Russian-Armenian dialogue, other contacts are also being prepared at various levels. On April 21-23, the 34th meeting of the Inter-Parliamentary Commission on Cooperation was held in Yerevan. There are plans to have the parliamentarians convene again – within the meeting of the relevant committees of the State Duma of Russia and the National Assembly of Armenia."

According to him, during 2022, Russia will host the Days of Armenian Culture and hold the Days of Spiritual Culture of Russia in Armenia.

Putin last visited Armenia in October 2019 to participate in a session of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council in Yerevan.