YEREVAN (Armenpress)–Armenia’s deputy foreign minister Levon Mkrtchian and Russia’s ambassador to Yerevan Anatoliy Dryukov signed documen’s on ratification of an inter-governmental agreement on the status of Armenian Citizens in Russia and Russian Citizens in Armenia on October 17.
The agreement on visa-free travel regime for the citizens of the two countries was signed earlier during President Robert Kocharian’s official visit to Moscow.
After the signing ceremony–ambassador Dryukov said the agreement on ratification concludes the legal shaping of the intergovernmental agreement between Armenia and Russia’signed in 1995–which not only specifies a wide range of the rights of the two countries’ citizens–but also secures their fulfillment.
The agreement defines the legal status of Armenian citizens who are permanent residents in Russia–as well as of Russian citizens permanently residing in Armenia. From now on–Armenian citizens will receive the right to live and work in Russia for extended periods of time. Their right to work will be equal to those of Russian citizens. There will be a special stamp in their passports–proving that Russian authorities recognize the bearer as a permanent resident of Russia.