Viktor Zubkov met with Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and held talks with Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan.

The visit included a meeting between the co-chairmen of the Intergovernmental Commission for Economic Co-operation between Russia and Armenia, Russian Minister of Transport Igor Levitin and Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan. Following the talks, Igor Levitin and Tigran Sargsyan signed a Concept of Long-term Economic Co-operation Programme between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Armenia to 2020, as well as the protocol of the meeting of the co-chairmen of the national parts of the Intergovernmental Commission for Economic Co-operation between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Armenia.

Commenting on the visit, Viktor Zubkov said, in part:

"We have conducted constructive and, above all, productive talks on the issues of Russian-Armenian trade and economic interaction.

"Yesterday, we held a lengthy discussion with Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan. We touched upon all issues of our co-operation.

"Today, with the participation of Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan and Russian Minister of Transport Igor Levitin, we continued to discuss issues regarding the continued promotion of bilateral trade, joint participation in large economic and investment projects.

"According to 2011 results, bilateral trade grew almost 16% to nearly $1 billion. This is the best achievement in the last four years.

"Meanwhile, as we discussed yesterday and today, we have even greater potential. One billion is not the limit.

"In this respect, we made a detailed analysis of the implementation of earlier agreements and determined new areas of practical Russian-Armenian co-operation.

"We have good prospects, primarily in the development of bilateral co-operation in agriculture. Last year, we had a good grain harvest, almost 94 million tonnes. For the first time, in this agricultural year we will export 27 million tonnes of grain. We will join the top three leading grain exporters worldwide.

"We have serious intentions to co-operate with the Republic of Armenia in agriculture. We have outlined the priorities that directly influence the quality of life of the Armenian people. This is seed farming, the cultivation of grain crops, beans, rape, rye, and other crops. We agreed that, on my instruction, the president of the Russian Academy of Agricultural Sciences will visit Armenia and hold talks with the Armenian Minister of Agriculture.

"We agreed that we could also facilitate poultry farming projects, including turkey meat production. Such high efficiency and high profitability projects are being extensively implemented in Russia. We think that this experience can be tested here, in Armenia.

"We also think that the Russian Agricultural Bank could establish a subsidiary in Armenia. The bank has a good credit portfolio, about a trillion roubles, the bank is one of the top four Russian banks. We think that the bank can open a subsidiary and begin issuing loans to Armenian farmers. We also think that the Rosagroleasing company could set up a subsidiary in Armenia. It is also a major Russian company with over 70 billion roubles in authorised capital. It carried out extensive work in Russia, providing Russian farmers with machinery, equipment, and pedigree animals, and builds modern high-tech facilities including greenhouses. So it is possible to start mutually beneficial co-operation here, as well.

"The prime minister and I agreed that a joint working group will develop specific proposals within a month. We will discuss them in Moscow and take final decisions. The desire is there on both sides, and we see good prospects.

"Cultural co-operation has significant potential. In the near-term, the establishment of the Yerevan branch of Lomonosov Moscow State University will be concluded and this will be the next step in the development of our co-operation.

"This and other areas of our partnership are included in the documents that have just been signed, the protocol of the meeting of the co-chairmen and the Concept of Long-term Economic Co-operation Programme between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Armenia to 2020. Development of this programme has already begun. It will be unveiled at the 14th meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission for Economic Co-operation between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Armenia, to be held in the second half of this year here, in Armenia.

"In conclusion, I want to thank Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan for the warm reception and a meaningful and constructive dialogue."