Deputies have introduced a bill in the State Duma banning the wearing of niqabs and any other clothing that covers the face. Examples cited include the ban on wearing such clothing in Central Asian countries.
At a meeting in Moscow, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan informed Russian President Vladimir Putin of Yerevan's interest in Russian-made modular nuclear power plants. The head of government emphasized the growing role of nuclear energy, recognized as environmentally friendly worldwide, and its importance for Armenia.
According to him, cooperation with Russia in this area, including extending the lifespan of the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant until 2036 and discussing small modular nuclear power plant projects, is being actively pursued through the Rosatom corporation.
Pashinyan noted that despite a temporary decline in trade this year due to global economic factors, Yerevan and Moscow are striving to restore the high growth rates in mutual trade recorded in 2023 and 2024. Putin, in turn, confirmed the progressive development of relations between the countries, emphasizing the record trade turnover in 2024, which reached $11.7 billion, which constitutes 34% of Armenia's total foreign trade turnover.