Rubinian phoned Matvienko despite not being congratulated by her on becoming the speaker of the National Assembly on Monday. Alexei Shevtsov, the deputy secretary of Russia’s Security Council, said in April that Russian tourists bring Armenia’s services sector $1 billion in annual revenue. “In the context of Russian-Armenian relations, instead of constructive dialogue, we are witnessing Yerevan's attempts to up the ante or simply resort to blackmail,” he charged. “This policy includes the persecution of pro-Russian figures and threats of arbitration proceedings against Russian companies operating in Armenia.” Passhinian pledged on July 30 to end the Russian Railways (RZhD) monopoly’s management of Armenia’s railway network.