Within the framework of an unofficial visit Armenian Ambassador to Russia Armen Smbatyan visited Saratov Friday. The diplomat met with Saratov region Governor Pavel Ipatov, Bishop of Saratov and Volsk Longin and representatives of the local Armenian community. The Ambassador also planted a tree in the National Village Armenian yard of the local ethnographic museum under open sky. "The foreign policy of our state lies in building relations exactly with Russian provinces," A. Smbatyan commented on the goal of his visit to Saratov. In his words, "the Saratov region is one of the closest and most interesting regions to Armenia." "The Governor was changed here lately and I considered necessary to come here to get acquainted with Pavel Ipatov, invite him to Armenia with an official call and adjust the framework and the terms of the signing of a large agreement on cooperation between the Republic of Armenia and the Saratov region of Russia that will include the economic, cultural and educational blocks," the Ambassador explained. "We are interested in increasing the volume of commodity turnover between Armenia and the Saratov region, especially in the military industry and tourism," the Armenian diplomat said.