President Putin to visit Armenia this week

Russian President Vladimir Putin is to make a two-day visit to Armenia starting Thursday, the presidency said.

Putin will hold talks with his Armenian counterpart, Robert Kocharian, and participate in a gala ceremony marking the start of the "Year of Russia" in Armenia, presidential spokesman Viktor Sogomonian said.

Armenia, an impoverished landlocked Caucausus state, is one of Moscow's closest allies in the region.