Armenia Holds Pivotal Legislative Elections to Determine Foreign Policy Direct

Maral Chavushian
Asatu News
June 6 2026
Oliver Whitfield

Armenian citizens cast their ballots in a crucial legislative election on Sunday, June 7, 2026, amid a highly contested campaign marked by foreign policy debates and documented disinformation operations. The vote pits incumbent Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan against billionaire tycoon Samvel Karapetyan, presenting voters with a choice between an integration path with the West or returning to the sphere of influence managed by Moscow.

The election has effectively transformed into a referendum on the geopolitical alignment of the Caucasus nation, as reported by the Moscow Times. Prime Minister Pashinyan, a 51-year-old former journalist, currently leads the party favored in the pre-election polls after campaigning heavily across the nation to defend his pro-Western political trajectory.

“Pour moi, le changement le plus important qui s’est produit, c’est que le gouvernement et le peuple arméniens s’aiment,” stated Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

Supporters of the Prime Minister view him as a leader who challenged the post-Soviet elite following his rise to power during the 2018 street demonstrations. Conversely, critics accuse his administration of growing authoritarianism, noting allegations of utilizing the police, judiciary, and state authority to suppress political rivals, including influential figures within the Armenian Apostolic Church.

Government officials have targeted the church over alleged corruption, leading security forces to arrest billionaire businessman and major church donor Samvel Karapetyan last year. The tycoon, who holds Russian, Cypriot, and Armenian citizenships, has been held under house arrest since June 18, forcing his nephew to head the campaign of the Strong Armenia party on his behalf.

The campaign manager further characterized his uncle as a political prisoner facing state persecution despite holding an estimated fortune exceeding 4 billion dollars. The imprisoned candidate maintains that he will assume the prime minister post if his political party achieves victory in the legislative elections.

“en une heure,” remarked Samvel Karapetyan, Candidate for Strong Armenia.

The candidate specified to journalists from Le Monde that he has initiated legal procedures to renounce his Russian nationality, which would resolve constitutional restrictions that ban foreign nationals from holding the prime ministerial office. However, his platform remains aligned with Moscow, contrasting with Pashinyan, who has distanced Armenia from Russia after the definitive military loss of the disputed Karabakh enclave to Azerbaijan in 2023.

Brussels has expressed firm alignment with Armenia amidst the electoral process, promising immediate financial budgetary aid exceeding 50 million euros. European authorities also noted that Russia has deployed economic restrictions, such as a recent import ban on Armenian flowers, to exert political pressure on the state.

“Moscou instrumentalise les relations économiques pour exercer une pression politique. Nous connaissons trop bien ce mode opératoire,” stated Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission.

The European Union has committed to providing additional resources to sustain the Armenian agricultural market following the trade measures enacted by Moscow. The packages aim to offset economic retaliations threatened by foreign powers.

“Et il y en aura d’autres,” assured Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission.

The regional support comes as European leaders seek to stabilize the Caucasus nation against external blockades. Assistance programs are scheduled to expand based on institutional assessments.

“un envoi de 10.000 fleurs doit arriver,” added Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission.

The geopolitical tension is amplified by warnings from Russian President Vladimir Putin, who referenced the Ukraine conflict during a speech in Kazakhstan to caution Armenia against attempting to join the European Union. Experts have also documented a Kremlin-attributed disinformation campaign named Matryoshka, which generated at least 31 falsified publications impersonating reputable media outlets in a single week during May.

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Armenia braces for election as Russia piles pressure on pro-West government

Emil Lazarian
BBC
June 6 2026

Armenia braces for election as Russia piles pressure on pro-West government

Rayhan Demytrie

Armenia votes on 7 June under mounting Russian economic pressure, as Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan seeks re-election on a promise of European integration.

The election has drawn significant international attention to the small South Caucasus nation of three million people, which has steadily grown closer to the West while still intertwined with Russia, its largest trading partner.

The rapprochement with the West is largely Pashinyan’s doing.

Since coming to power in 2018, the prime minister has steered his country away from Moscow, passed a law to launch the process of joining the EU, and accelerated the peace process with neighbouring Azerbaijan via a US-brokered agreement. The latter has won him US President Donald Trump’s endorsement.

Pashinyan also hosted a large summit of EU leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the capital, Yerevan, earlier this year.

Pashinyan’s critics have never forgiven him for giving up Nagorno-Karabakh

Yet despite these successes, Pashinyan’s domestic support has fallen from 54% in 2021 to around 30% today.

The main reason is Nagorno-Karabakh, a mountainous enclave inside Azerbaijan that was home to 100,000 ethnic Armenians until Azerbaijan took it by force in 2023.

Pashinyan’s critics have never forgiven him for making concessions in favour of peace with Azerbaijan, like refusing to campaign for the release of former leaders of Nagorno-Karabakh who are in jail in the neighbouring country.

The peace deal with Azerbaijan, too, remains deeply divisive, with one recent poll showing 44% of public opinion in support and 41% opposed.

Pashinyan’s critics now form several opposition parties and alliances. One of the main ones is the Armenia Alliance, led by former president Robert Kocharyan. Former president Serzh Sargsyan’s Republican Party is not fielding candidates but has urged its supporters to vote against the incumbent.

Both ex-leaders argue that restoring deep military and economic ties with Russia is Armenia’s only path to national security.

And Pashinyan’s main challenger is billionaire Samvel Karapetyan, who made his fortune in Russia. He is under house arrest – accused of plotting to overthrow the government – and is conducting the campaign through his nephew.

The latest International Republican Institute poll shows Pashinyan’s Civil Contract leading with 32%, while around 40% of voters say they trust no political figure.

If the opposition candidates worked together, they could match Pashinyan’s vote, but divided they cannot beat him.

Russia’s economic weapon

Over the vote looms Moscow.

Last month, Vladimir Putin listed the economic benefits Armenia stood to lose if it pursued closer ties with the West, and pointedly noted that “the crisis in Ukraine began with efforts to move toward EU accession”.

Tangible economic measures follow the rhetoric. In the two weeks preceding the election, Moscow banned the export of Armenian flowers, mineral water, cognac, fresh vegetables and fruit.

Russia is Armenia’s leading trade partner and accounted for 36% of its foreign trade in 2025.

Moscow “is trying to somehow impact the final results of voting on June 7,” said Haykaz Fanyan of the Armenian Centre for Socio-Economic Studies. “We in Armenia believe it is very highly correlated with current political processes.”

He notes that Armenia’s dependence on Russian military equipment has shrunk dramatically, with around 95% of Armenia’s military imports now coming from India, France, China and other countries.

“The only way Russia can impact Armenia now is economic,” Fanyan said.

But that is still a significant weapon for Moscow to wield. Russia supplies Armenia with gas at $177.50 (£87) per 1,000 cubic metres, while European market prices, as Putin pointed out to Pashinyan in April, exceed $600.

In late May, the Russian president also called on Armenia to hold a referendum “as soon as possible” on whether to join the EU or remain in the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), a customs bloc from which Armenia benefits.

Pashinyan swerved the challenge. Despite his developing, good-natured relationship with European leaders, Armenia doesn’t even have EU candidate status yet, and membership of the bloc is still a long way off.

“We will continue to work within the EAEU until the choice between its current membership and the EU becomes unavoidable,” he said. “Today this choice is theoretical in nature.”

Still, the EU is not standing back idly. On Thursday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen pledged €50m (£43m) for Armenia in the face of what she said was a case of “Moscow weaponising economic relations for political pressure”, and added the EU would ease trade with Yerevan for goods targeted by Moscow.

A tense campaign

Pashinyan has been campaigning under the slogan ‘Stand for Peace!”.

But the campaign has not been without confrontation – notably between Pashinyan and displaced Karabakh Armenians. One incident ended with the prime minister using offensive language against civil activist Artur Osipyan, who was later arrested on charges of obstructing the election campaign and went on hunger strike in protest.

Such incidents have led opposition figures to accuse Pashinyan of growing authoritarianism and of using state resources – including pressure on civil servants to attend his rallies – to his advantage.

“Pashinyan and his regime are using all possible and impossible administrative levers. They are spreading the atmosphere of fear and blackmailing,” said Artur Khachatryan, a member of parliament from the opposition Armenia Alliance.

“I cannot remember any campaign as tense as this one.”

Pashinyan is running on his doctrine of “Real Armenia” – a country at peace with Azerbaijan and integrated into Europe, rather than one defined by territorial ambitions and dependence on Moscow.

His support may have collapsed – but for many voters he remains the only alternative to a return to a past tinged by corruption and authoritarianism.

For ordinary Armenians heading to the polls the question is harder than any geopolitical framing: are they willing to bear the economic costs of the direction Pashinyan has chosen – costs Russia is making sure they can feel – knowing that a European future is still a distant prospect?

On 7 June, that question gets an answer.

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The most important election Washington isn’t talking about

Maral Takmazian
The Hill
June 5 2026

by Evelyn Farkas, opinion contributor

Armenia’s parliamentary election on June 7 will do more than decide who governs a country of 3 million people at the crossroads of Europe and Asia. As Armenia attempts to loosen its dependence on Russia and reorient itself toward the West, this election will test whether a small democracy on Russia’s doorstep can chart its own future, and how much the U.S. is willing to help it do so.

Diplomatic progress on peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan, encouraged through sustained U.S. engagement and linked to broader regional integration initiatives like the recent transit and trade corridor agreement brokered by the U.S., has created a historic opportunity to stabilize the region while advancing American strategic interests. The emerging peace framework between Armenia and Azerbaijan could become the foundation for something larger: a more politically stable and economically integrated South Caucasus, less dominated by outside powers. Such a reality would serve American strategic interests for decades.

Just last week, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Yerevan to continue deepening U.S.-Armenia ties, and it is essential that U.S. engagement continue. During recent McCain Institute visits to Armenia, discussions with regional experts, policymakers, and civil society leaders reinforced a growing consensus that Armenia is entering a pivotal geopolitical moment whose outcome remains uncertain but strategically important. As the South Caucasus is rapidly becoming a key arena for transit connectivity and U.S. access to critical minerals, Russia’s regional influence is weakening, and Armenia is searching for alternatives to Moscow.

Armenia’s internal politics remain fragile. Recent assessments surrounding the 2026 parliamentary elections have highlighted vulnerabilities to disinformation, foreign interference and democratic backsliding. An even greater concern, however, is that disengagement by the U.S. and Europe would strengthen pro-Kremlin forces in Armenia.

This dynamic is particularly visible among younger voters. The McCain Institute’s delegation to Armenia this April heard that many younger Armenians remain politically undecided or show openness toward candidates aligned more closely with Moscow. That uncertainty reflects a society shaped by insecurity, war fatigue, and economic anxiety rather than ideology alone, and it creates an opening for forces seeking closer alignment with Russia. Indeed, the two issues most likely to define Armenia’s upcoming elections are security and economic prosperity. 

That matters because Russia no longer appears capable of credibly guaranteeing either for Armenia. The collapse of Russia’s security role during the Nagorno-Karabakh crisis fundamentally altered Armenian public perceptions. Although Moscow’s influence remains significant, confidence in Russia as Armenia’s indispensable protector has weakened substantially.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s increasingly open defiance of the Kremlin — which has included his signaling that Armenia’s future lies closer to Europe than to Russia — would have been politically unthinkable only a few years ago.

That outcome is not guaranteed. Russia is fighting to retain regional influence, targeting Armenian exports to Russia and threatening to withhold its own energy exports in the run-up to the election. Domestic instability inside Armenia could still reverse the country’s trajectory. Economic frustration and security fears could strengthen pro-Kremlin political forces in the next election cycle.

These uncertainties are precisely why continued U.S. engagement matters most now.

Armenia’s movement away from dependence on Russia may still be incomplete and politically contested, but for the first time in a generation, it is real. In supporting this pivot, the U.S. must show that nations which choose democratic self-governance and self-determined foreign policies will find committed partners in Washington.

Armenia’s elections must remain for Armenians themselves to decide. But if the U.S. wants a more stable South Caucasus and a region more guarded from Russian pressure, now is the moment for sustained American engagement.

Evelyn Farkas, Ph.D., is executive director of the McCain Institute. Prior to serving as McCain Institute executive director, Farkas was the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia — a region that included Armenia. 

https://thehill.com/opinion/international/5911387-armenia-pivot-away-russia/

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Armenia elections: EU deepens engagement as Russia’s influence wanes

Garnik Tadevosian
Euractiv
June 5 2026

Both Moscow and Brussels are closely watching the vote

Politics

Emma ColletEuractiv


YEREVAN – With parliamentary elections this Sunday, Armenia is entering a decisive phase that could shift its geopolitical trajectory, ease conflict and help soothe relations with regional neighbours.

In the streets of Yerevan, campaign posters from 18 parties and alliances compete for visibility. Those of incumbent Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, depicted forming a heart with his hands, are among the most prominent in the capital.

In office since 2018, Pashinyan is currently leading in the polls with about 32% of the vote.

This election will test whether he can secure a parliamentary majority strong enough to implement constitutional reforms, including concluding a peace agreement with Azerbaijan and normalising relations with Turkey, while continuing a gradual rapprochement with the EU.

This strategic shift has coincided with a gradual distancing from Russia, Armenia’s long-standing security partner, even as the country remains heavily dependent on Moscow in economic and energy terms.

“These are not elections simply dividing pro-Russian and pro-Western forces,” says Richard Giragossian, director of the Regional Studies Center in Yerevan. “But both Moscow and Brussels are closely monitoring the outcome.”

A fragile post-Karabakh realignment

Since Azerbaijan’s military takeover of Nagorno-Karabakh in 2023 and the displacement of more than 100,000 ethnic Armenians from the disputed territory, relations between Yerevan and Moscow have deteriorated significantly.

Pashinyan accused Russia of failing to provide adequate security guarantees during the offensive, while Armenia has accelerated its diplomatic engagement with the EU alongside emerging peace talks with Azerbaijan.

In 2025, Armenia’s parliament adopted legislation expressing the country’s intention to pursue EU membership. The successive organisation of an EU–Armenia summit and a European Political Community meeting in Yerevan in early May was also interpreted in Brussels as a signal of political alignment.

EU Ambassador to Armenia Vassilis Maragos noted that Brussels strongly supports Armenia’s efforts to normalise regional relations in the Caucasus, particularly with last month’s “connectivity” agreement to boost investment in digital infrastructure, semiconductor manufacturing and innovation.

“The connectivity partnership focuses on new projects in the context of peace and normalisation in the region, as well as border opening,” Maragos told Euractiv. “We have already identified three new border crossing points that we will support.”

Turkey-Armenia relations remain fragile

The electoral outcome is critical for Armenia’s regional diplomacy.

Benyamin Poghossian, an analyst in Armenia, warned that if Pashinyan fails to secure a majority in parliament the election result could “undermine not only the normalisation process with Azerbaijan, but also the one with Türkiye”.

Despite the absence of diplomatic relations since 1990, Armenia and Turkey have recently increased their engagement, including steps toward reopening borders, restoring historical infrastructure such as the Ani Bridge, and exploring the revival of the Kars-Gyumri railway line.

In Margara, near the Turkish border and within sight of Mount Ararat, expectations are cautiously rising among the village of 1400 inhabitants, where only the region’s famous white storks, known in Armenia as aragil, can travel on their seasonal migrations from one country to another for now.

“It’s time. Today, Armenian goods have to go through Georgia to reach Türkiye. Opening the border would simplify everything,” said Grigori Voskanyan, a taxi driver operating between Margara and Yerevan, near a border crossing recently renovated with European support.

EU steps up engagement as Russia increases pressure

From Russia’s standpoint, Armenia’s gradual drift away from Moscow’s traditional role as “Caucasus gatekeeper” is increasingly sensitive, particularly as Yerevan deepens its engagement with Brussels.

On Saturday, Russia recalled its ambassador in Yerevan for consultations over Armenia’s growing ties with the EU. At the same time, Moscow has intensified economic pressure through new restrictions on Armenian exports, including agricultural products, flowers and mineral water.

Russian authorities cite sanitary and technical concerns, but the measures are widely viewed in Yerevan and Brussels as politically motivated.

Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, described the restrictions as “unacceptable economic coercion” and officials are exploring measures to support Armenian exporters and diversify trade routes.

EU officials say the bloc is also stepping up support for regional connectivity and border infrastructure projects.

A delicate balancing act for Yerevan

Despite rising tensions, analysts argue that a complete rupture with Russia remains unlikely in the short term.

Poghossian noted that Moscow maintains a strategic presence in Armenia, notably through the deployment of border guards along the Armenian-Iranian border. That region is where the “Trump Initiative for Peace and Prosperity”, a US-supported regional road project connecting Armenia and Azerbaijan in southern Armenia, is expected to be implemented. It plays a central role in the ongoing peace negotiations with Baku.

“Theoretically, Russia could block this project,” Poghossian said.

“Russia has many tools at its disposal,” he added, pointing to potential leverage including energy pricing, transport links and financial transfers.

Given this leverage, some members of Armenia’s opposition have criticised Pashinyan for weakening traditional ties with Russia. Nevertheless, analysts argue that the government’s approach remains largely pragmatic.

“The current government understands that EU membership remains a distant prospect,” said Giragossian. “Its main objective is to adapt the country to the new reality following the loss of Nagorno-Karabakh in 2023.”

Domestic tensions over foreign policy direction

Pashinyan’s main opponent, businessman Samvel Karapetyan (who is currently polling at 12.5%) and his “Strong Armenia” party, is capitalising on public discontent over the Karabakh conflict and fears of Russia’s negative impact on the country and its economy.

During a rally in Republic Square in Yerevan on 3 June, hundreds of his supporters gathered, including displaced families from across Armenia. Karapetyan, who is currently under investigation for money laundering and is suspected of acting on behalf of Russian interests, had to communicate with his supporters via a pre-recorded video message.

“We want to stay close to Russia, not the European Union,” said supporter Danik Avetisyan at the rally. “Listen, no one did anything when 100,000 Armenians in Karabakh were attacked by Azerbaijan.”

Still, as the vote approaches, the election is increasingly seen less as a binary choice between East and West, and more as a referendum on how the country manages its geopolitical constraints in a rapidly changing regional order.

(cm, bw, vc)

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Armenia arrests six candidates for pro-Russian opposition day before vote

Lilit Nahapetian
Reuters
June 6 2026
By Lucy Papachristou
  • Reports give no reason for detentions of six
  • Polls show their Strong Armenia party in second place
  • Russia steps up trade pressure amid Yerevan’s pivot to West
YEREVAN, June 6 (Reuters) – Armenian authorities arrested six candidates for a pro-Russian opposition party on Saturday, a day before they were due to stand ‌in general elections, state media reported, without giving any reason for the detentions.
The report said they were from the Strong Armenia party, led by Russian-Armenian billionaire Samvel Karapetyan, who is under house arrest on charges of calling for the overthrow of the government – accusations he rejects as politically motivated.
Armenia’s relationship with traditional patron Russia has emerged as a central electoral issue. Moscow has slapped restrictions on Armenian exports in recent weeks ⁠in response to Yerevan’s warming relationship with the West.

RELATIONSHIP WITH RUSSIA IN FOCUS

Around 2.4 million Armenians will be eligible to cast their ballots in Sunday’s election, which is also seen as a test of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s efforts to forge peace with longtime foe Azerbaijan.
Polls suggest Strong Armenia has the support of between 6% and 11% of the electorate, putting it in second place behind Pashinyan’s ruling Civil Contract party, which has a substantial lead with between 24% and 32%.
Armenian civil society groups have raised alarm over what they say are Russian state-sponsored disinformation efforts in the lead-up to the election. Moscow routinely denies it meddles in other countries’ internal affairs.
State media ‌outlet Armenpress ⁠said the Central Election Commission had allowed investigators to initiate criminal proceedings against the six candidates, without going into further details.
Armenia’s state Investigative Committee, which made the arrests, did not immediately respond on Saturday to questions about the reasons for the move.
There was no immediate response from Strong Armenia, which wants to maintain Yerevan’s economic and political ties to Russia, and ⁠has accused Pashinyan of stoking war with Moscow.
Armenia’s Interior Ministry said earlier this week it had identified at least 78 cases of pre-election crimes and had detained 44 people, according to figures cited by Armenian media.
The reports did not specify which ⁠political parties the detained people belong to.
Pressure against Strong Armenia has been mounting ahead of Sunday’s vote.
At an extraordinary session held late on Friday, the Central Election Commission rejected a lawsuit filed by another opposition group ⁠to ban Strong Armenia from participating in the elections over accusations it was bribing voters and financing its campaign illegally, among other issues.
Strong Armenia broadly dismissed the lawsuit, with Armenian media quoting the party’s spokeswoman as saying the group was “ready for all scenarios” on Sunday.
ALSO READ

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Five arrested in vote-buying probe involving Strong Armenia party

Albert Nalbandian
Law13:36, 5 June 2026
Read the article in: ArmenianRussian:

Five individuals have been arrested amid an ongoing investigation into alleged vote buying involving the Strong Armenia party.

According to the Anti-Corruption Committee, the party’s office heads in the Kanaker-Zeytun district of Yerevan acted with accomplices to distribute electoral bribes.

A court has remanded two of the suspects in pre-trial detention.

Published by Armenpress, original at 
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Gyumri mayor under investigation for allegedly plotting coup

Emil Lazarian
Armenia16:33, 5 June 2026
Read the article in: Armenian:

A criminal investigation into an alleged coup plot involving Gyumri Mayor Vardan Ghukasyan has been launched after the Investigative Committee said it received a report on the apparent crime on June 5, 2026.

In a statement, the law enforcement agency said that Ghukasyan, in 2025, through recruiting accomplices across the country, had plotted to seize power but failed to carry out the conspiracy due to “circumstances beyond their control.”

Following the report, the General Department for the Investigation of Crimes against the State, Constitutional Order, and Public Security of the Investigative Committee of Armenia has initiated criminal proceedings under Part 1 of Article 43-419 of the Criminal Code of Armenia (preparation to usurp power).

Within the framework of the criminal proceedings, measures are being taken to identify all persons allegedly involved in the plot, as well as to clarify the mechanisms of the offence and provide a legal assessment of their actions.

Mayor of Gyumri Vardan Ghukasyan has been in pre-trial detention since October 2025 on unrelated bribery charges, which he denies. The city has been governed by an acting mayor ever since.

Published by Armenpress, original at 
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EU pledges continued support for Armenia amid Russian pressure

Emil Lazarian
Politics15:10, 5 June 2026
Read the article in: EspañolPersianFrançaisՀայերենქართულიRussian中文

The EU has pledged to continue supporting Armenia amid what it describes as growing Russian pressure, including trade restrictions on Armenian goods.

EU officials said Russia is using trade as a political tool ahead of elections and aims to harm Armenia’s economy.

“Armenia is a sovereign, democratic and independent country, having its right to choose its own path and partners,” the EU’s lead spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Anitta Hipper, said at a press briefing when asked by Armenpress’ Brussels correspondent about EU support measures for Armenia amid Russian import restrictions.

“We see, however, the attempts from Russia that are massively intensifying to put pressure on its [Armenia’s] people ahead of the election. So, Russia is now using trade as a political weapon and political pressure measure against the members of the Eurasian Economic Union. And the timing as such is not coincidence. So, this does not come as a surprise that Russia aims at hurting Armenia’s economy at this critical time. So, EU on our side is a trusted and reliable partner, and we will continue supporting Armenia on all issues of importance to its people,” Hipper said.

European Commission Deputy Chief Spokesperson Olof Gill, in turn, referred to the recent phone call between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, after which the EU announced immediate financial assistance worth over €50 million, in addition to other measures.

Russia has imposed growing restrictions in recent weeks on the import of Armenian goods, ranging from flowers and certain fruits and vegetables to mineral water, fish and alcoholic drinks, citing alleged phytosanitary violations. This has prompted Armenian exporters to search for new markets, including in the EU.

Published by Armenpress, original at 
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Armenian deputy minister calls for stronger cooperation between state, private

Hagop Kamalian
High Technologies10:43, 5 June 2026
Read the article in: ArmenianRussian:

Armenian First Deputy Minister of High-Tech Industry Gevorg Mantashyan has highlighted the importance of cybersecurity and stressed the need for the full implementation of the new regulatory law, alongside stronger cooperation between the state, private sector, and experts.

Speaking at the “Cybersecurity as a National Priority” panel discussion during the RISE Powered by Silicon Mountains 2026 forum, Mantashyan presented the programs implemented by the ministry, particularly emphasizing the importance of the reliability of state digital infrastructures, the security of identification systems, and data protection, the ministry said in a press release.

Industry leaders—including specialists from government institutions and the private sector—discussed current challenges in digital security, the development of legal regulations, and the enhancement of the cyber resilience of critical infrastructure. Special attention was paid to the prospects for applying new technological solutions in the field.

According to Mantashyan, a key component of the sector’s development is the formation of human capital and the existence of clear rules. Alongside ongoing legislative reforms, the ministry is implementing educational and awareness programs, initiatives for schoolchildren and students, as well as hackathons. These contribute to the identification of new talent and the training of qualified specialists.

The Deputy Minister also highlighted the importance of the adoption of the Law on Cybersecurity, noting that the need to regulate the sector had been discussed for many years. According to him, although possible directions for the further development and improvement of the law are already being discussed, the priority at this stage is for the adopted regulations to begin to operate and be fully applied. Based on the results of their implementation and effectiveness assessment, it will be possible to move on to the next stages of reforms and the introduction of additional solutions.

Referring to the use of cloud technologies, Mantashyan emphasized the importance of continuous cooperation with the private sector and the professional community. He stressed that when selecting and implementing technological solutions, it is necessary to be guided by the principles of cost-effectiveness, security, and long-term stability.

He also stressed that cybersecurity today is a shared responsibility, and that addressing modern threats requires close cooperation between the state, the private sector, and the professional community.

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Published by Armenpress, original at 
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Armenia football coach says result against Kazakhstan is not the team’s top pr

Emil Lazarian
Sports18:59, 5 June 2026
Read the article in: EspañolՀայերենRussian

Armenia national football team head coach Yeghishe Melikyan has said that the results of the team’s upcoming matches against Kazakhstan and Moldova are not his primary concern.

“The result against Kazakhstan is not our top priority. I will not be discouraged if things do not work out for us this year. We need patient and consistent work for the team to start producing results. Before the official matches scheduled for the autumn, we need these games in order to understand our mistakes,” Melikyan told reporters during a pre-match press conference.

According to the head coach, the Kazakhstan national team is different this year and stronger than in previous seasons.

“We needed opponents that would resemble the teams we will face in the autumn. We selected teams that are neither very strong, nor average, nor weak. We needed opponents that would create problems for us on the pitch,” he said.

Melikyan stressed that he is not making promises that everything will immediately go well for the national team and urged supporters not to have excessively high expectations.

“I do not want to make big promises. We have a young team. A generational transition has taken place. I will not be disappointed if nothing works out for us this year. We need patience, and sooner or later this team will become a good team,” he said.

Armenia will host Kazakhstan in Yerevan on June 6, before facing Moldova on June 9.

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