The Anti-corruption Committee reports another report on the disclosure of election bribery

Aram Torosian

As a result of the activities carried out by the employees of the RA Anti-Corruption Committee, factual information was obtained that the head of the offices of the “Strong Armenia” party in Alaverdi, Lori region, together with other persons, gave electoral bribes to a number of voters on the condition that they would vote for their party in the National Assembly elections.


In order to hide their criminal activities, the money paid to the citizens receiving election bribes was presented as a salary paid under the condition that any position was formalized in the various offices of the party. However, the aforementioned citizens were not only not registered as employees, but also did not perform any work apart from securing votes for themselves or their family members.


Regarding the case, the RA Anti-Corruption Committee initiated criminal proceedings, arrested a number of persons, conducted searches and other administrative actions.

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Approved the provision of paid “parenting time” to working parents

Khondkarian Raffi
Photo: primeminister.am

The Government of the Republic of Armenia approved the draft of amendments and additions to the Labor Code, which provides for the introduction of the idea of ​​”parental time” in labor relations, at the meeting held on May 21. The decision is aimed at increasing the social protection of working parents and will apply to employers in both the public and private sectors.


The new regulations stipulate that parents (including foster parents, adoptive parents and carers) with a child in their care under the age of 12 and under the age of 18 with a profound or severely limiting disability will be entitled to paid leave.


The provided period will be distributed according to the following principle: parents with up to 2 children – a maximum of 30 minutes per day, parents with 3 or more children – a maximum of 1 hour per day. And for the parents of a child with a disability, a maximum of 1 hour per day (regardless of the total number of children).


It is also noted that this right will apply equally to both parents.


Terms of application and upcoming reforms

During the government session, it was clarified that the possibility of accumulating hours is not planned at the current stage. Employees will not be able to add daily free hours together to obtain a full day off. However, the new provision will operate in parallel with the existing legislation. for example, mothers returning from parental leave with a child under 2 years of age, who already have the right to work less than 1 hour per day, will be able to add these benefits and be absent for up to 2 hours per day.


Possible risks were also raised during the session. In particular, concerns have been raised that mandating paid time off may cause private employers to avoid hiring parents caring for children with disabilities. As a solution, it was proposed to develop state incentive mechanisms (for example, in the form of tax benefits), which will be discussed in the National Assembly during the hearing stage.


The prospect of digitization


The government said that in the future, when the digitalization platform for labor contracts will be fully implemented in Armenia, it will be possible to revise the law and make it more flexible. The digital system will allow managing the accumulation of hours and their redistribution between parents.


After the draft is approved by the executive, it will be sent to the RA National Assembly for a final vote.

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The arrest of Artur Osipyan is Pashinyan’s latest repression of the people of Artsakh

Garnik Tadevosian

Arrest of Artur Osipyan is Pashinyan’s next reprisal and repression against opponents and Artsakh people. Artak Beglaryan, the former state minister of the Republic of Artsakh, former human rights defender, wrote about this on his Facebook page.


“Not to mention his insulting and hate-filled shameful expressions against Arthur and the people of Artsakh, which clearly demonstrate his value system and ideology.


Arthur demonstrated legal and constructive behavior with Pashinyan, and in Artsakh he behaved many times more destructively, but this was tolerated by the authorities for the sake of maintaining democratic principles and public solidarity.


This is the Armenia led by the “democratic” Pashinyan, which will become even worse if he is suddenly re-elected,” he said.


Let’s remind that on May 18, during the CP campaign in Yerevan, Artur Osipyan, the chairman of the Artsakh Revolutionary Party, approached Nikol Pashinyan and asked him questions about Artsakh.

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“Rosselkhoznadzor” representatives inspect Armenian companies

Badalian Vardan
Photo: sputnik

Armenia’s Minister of Economy Gevorg Papoyan announced that Russian “Rosselkhoznadzor” specialists are carrying out studies in Armenian companies in order to review the previously applied export bans. At the same time, the minister announced the doubling of export volumes to China and the European Union, emphasizing the state strategy of market diversification.


Referring to the possible new restrictions on the import of Armenian agricultural products by the Russian Federation, Papoyan noted that the Armenian side has not yet received an official letter. According to him, the representatives of “Rosselkhoznadzor” are currently conducting on-site inspections of the companies whose access to the Russian market was closed. In case of a positive conclusion of the inspections, the possibility of supplies will be restored for those companies. The minister described this process as a normal working situation.


Earlier, the Russian agency justified its move with the need to ensure phytosanitary safety, citing that a significant number of quarantine objects were found in a large batch of Armenian flowers last year, which made up the vast majority of the total number of similar incidents. The restrictions will be in effect until the completion of inspections of Armenian greenhouses and a detailed analysis of the results.


The minister did not rule out that some internal political forces of Armenia are deliberately trying to create obstacles for Armenian producers and farmers in the Russian market. However, he assured that the government is monitoring the situation and providing prompt solutions. As a successful example, he pointed to the settlement of document problems related to the Russian Wildberries and Ozon platforms. currently, hundreds of Armenian companies have already restored or are restoring their sales opportunities on the mentioned platforms through an automated procedure.


In the context of economic security, Papoyan particularly emphasized the successes recorded in the direction of diversification of export markets. According to the minister, in January-April 2026, the export from Armenia to China and the European Union doubled.


“We must continue this work so that in the next 2-3 years, Armenia does not depend on any market, and the problem arising in any market does not have a significant impact on our economy,” added the minister, assuring that the work with Russian partners continues actively, and no serious problems are predicted.

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In Armenia, school programs on AB are being prepared

Boshkezenian Garik
Photo: jam-news.net

The RA government has announced a large-scale modernization of high school educational programs. The main innovations will be the specialization of training, the introduction of cyber security courses and the launch of advanced programs in the study of artificial intelligence with the support of global technology giants.


The government has approved a package of changes to high school curricula. According to the new concept, students of grades 10-12 will have the opportunity to independently shape their educational path. They will be able to focus on the in-depth study of subjects necessary for the future profession, at the expense of reducing the hours devoted to non-professional disciplines.


One of the important directions of the reforms is the adaptation of the school curriculum to modern challenges. It is planned to significantly expand the teaching of information security, civil defense and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in educational institutions.


As the Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports Zhanna Andreasyan noted, with the support of the FAST Foundation, AB courses have already been successfully integrated into the educational process of about 40 schools. This initiative is innovative on a global level and recently won a prestigious award in a field competition for education programs held in the USA. Building on the success achieved, the agency is currently developing a new large-scale initiative in partnership with Firebird and OpenAI.


In addition to technological development, special attention will be paid to the social and scientific activity of youth. It is planned to involve high school students more actively in research projects and volunteer movements. In order to optimize study time, those students who successfully pass university entrance exams in the winter phase will be able to devote the second semester entirely to similar project and social activities.

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Verelq: Trade is direct, the border is closed. What does Turkey’s new decision mean?

Mary Lazarian
Photo: Factor.am

The formalization of direct trade between Armenia and Turkey has raised a wave of new discussions in the regional economic and political agendas. Although the land border between the two countries remains closed, and the circulation of goods is carried out by complex logistics chains, the new legal regulations may change the rules of the market game to some extent.


While diplomatic circles are trying to understand the political context of this move by Ankara, the issues in the economic field are much more pragmatic. what will the consumer gain and what risks will the local producer face in conditions of unequal competition? VERELQtalked with an economist on the topic Suren Parsyan with analyzing the price of “direct paper trade” for the Armenian economy and the impact of the Azerbaijani energy factor on the decisions made by Ankara.



 


Suren Parsyan is in the photo, the source is Factor.am 


VERELQ. Will the formalization of direct trade bring any practical changes in terms of logistics and product pricing, or is it simply a reformulation of customs statistics that legitimizes existing imports through third countries?


Suren Parsyan. In my opinion, the formalization of direct trade with Turkey is primarily a step to formalize legal and customs relations, not a structural change in the economy. In fact, a significant part of Turkish goods have been entering Armenia through Georgia, Iran, the Arab Emirates or other countries for years. In other words, the consumer has been using Turkish products for a long time, it’s just that it has often been accessed through other sources or mediated chains.


However, there may still be a practical difference. If trade is formalized, brokerage costs, double shipments, relabeling and documentation costs are reduced. This can result in a 5-15% price reduction for some products. Especially in the sectors of construction materials, textiles, household goods and food, Turkish products can become more competitive.


But there will be no significant logistic revolution without a physically open border. If the cargo continues to pass through Georgia or another route, then we simply get a “legal formulation of direct trade”, not full economic integration.


VERELQ. Considering that the circulation of goods is mostly one-way, what new risks arise for the local producer of Armenia, and is the market protected from disproportionate competition?


Suren Parsyan. Here the risks are much more serious. The economies of Armenia and Turkey are incomparable in size and productivity. Turkey has a large-scale industry, state subsidies, cheap labor and a lot of export experience. The small and medium producer of Armenia is very vulnerable in the conditions of such competition.


Light industry, furniture production, some branches of building materials, processing of agricultural products, textile and shoe production are especially at risk.


If the market is opened without protective mechanisms, the Armenian producer may simply be pushed out of the market. We already have such experience with cheap imports from other countries.


The state should apply anti-dumping policy, certification control, local producer subsidy and preferential lending. Otherwise, we will not have competition, but disproportionate economic penetration.


It should be understood that Turkey is primarily an exporter, not an import market for Armenia. In other words, trade turnover will most likely remain one-sided.


VERELQ. From the perspective of economic pragmatism, how heavy is Ankara’s energy and investment dependence on Baku? Do these ties exclude the opening of the border with Armenia in the near future?


Suren Parsyan. Today, Turkey’s energy and strategic ties with Azerbaijan are extremely deep. Azerbaijan is not only a source of gas and oil for Turkey, but also an important geopolitical partner in the Caucasus and Central Asia.


TANAP, Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline, gas projects and joint investment projects have formed a long-term interdependence. Under these circumstances, Ankara is unlikely to take such steps that Baku will perceive as neglecting its interests.


This means that regarding the opening of the border with Armenia, Turkey continues to connect its policy with the Armenian-Azerbaijani process. In other words, even if economic logic suggests opening a border, the political decision still depends on regional arrangements.


But at the same time, Turkey also understands that in the long term the closed border limits its own economic opportunities in the South Caucasus. That is why Ankara is trying to keep the possibility of dialogue and “managed opening”. 


VERELQ. Can this decision be seen as a mere political gesture to the international community, or does it nevertheless prepare some economic ground for regional de-blocking?


Suren Parsyan. I think this is both a political gesture and an economic preparation. Just calling it a political gesture does not fully reflect the reality.


Turkey wants to show the international community that it is ready for regional communication and economic cooperation. This is especially important in relations with Western partners.


But on the other hand, the economy always precedes the great political opening. When countries begin to build even a limited economic relationship, it creates business interests, logistical links, and financial mechanisms that can later contribute to broader deregulation.


In other words, the current step can be considered as an “experimental economic platform” without a complete political solution.


VERELQ. What is the cost of such a “direct paper trade” regime without a physically open border for Armenia’s economy? What unnecessary costs or losses does our economy incur due to complicated logistics?


Suren Parsyan. “Paper trade” without a physically open border is quite expensive for Armenia’s economy.


The first problem is transportation costs. When Turkish goods arrive in Armenia via detours, shipping time, storage costs, insurance fees, commissions, and duplicate customs and logistics services increase.


For example, the direct road from Kars to Gyumri could take hours, while now cargo often bypasses the territory of Georgia for hundreds of kilometers.


Secondly, Armenia is losing its opportunities as a transit country. If the border were open and the railways and roads were functioning, Armenia could receive logistics revenues, development of services and new jobs.


Third, a closed border reduces investment attractiveness. An investor always evaluates market access and transport links. A country with a closed border is considered an additional risk.


Thus, the current regime imposes an “artificial inflation tax” on the economy. Both the business and the consumer pay that cost in the end.

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Asbarez: Armenia Needs Integrated Healthcare Now, a Physician’s Perspective

Karakhanian Suren
by Contributor

 

 May 21, 2026

 

in Commentary, Latest, Op-Ed, Top Stories

Dr. Lorky Libaridian at the Dsegh Health Center in Lori, the first clinic in Armenia to offer integrated care, where medical and psycho-social staff work together to support patients


Dr. Lorky Libaridian of the Children of Armenia Fund Points to the Lasting Health Implications of Societal Stressors

BY DR. LORKY LIBARIDIAN and CATHERINE MANUKYAN

“If a patient has diabetes or high blood pressure, their stress levels decrease after working with the psychologist, and the treatment outcomes improve. They are more consistent with their care and adherent to treatment.” – Primary Care Nurse in Dsegh, Lori, Armenia.

Most people have never heard the term Integrated Care, or if they have, don’t understand just how important a part of an effective healthcare system it is. It’s not a sexy machine like an MRI, or a scary sounding term like a heart attack. But, sometimes, the solution that saves the most lives does not easily scream out in a headline or on a billboard.

In healthcare, we understand that health and wellness are directly linked to how we live, and the challenges we face. And sometimes the best care is preventing a heart attack by identifying and addressing, as much as possible, the factors that lead to it—stressors such as financial strain, food insecurity, or unsafe environments, are all closely linked to conditions such as depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress.

At the Dsegh Health Center, COAF focused on cardiovascular health, including diabetes, to address chronic disease

What Do We Mean When We Say Integrated Care?
When we provide access to a comprehensive team that incorporates a social worker and a psychologist—specialists who can address life’s stressors—alongside healthcare professionals, we deliver the integrated care that individuals and communities need.

In many countries around the world, integrated care is not a novelty, but a standard. In Armenia, this type of integrated care was absent until recently, when the Armenian Ministry of Health teamed up with the Children of Armenia Fund to pilot an integrated care model in the village of Dsegh, in the Lori region of Armenia.

At COAF, We Have Seen the Need for an Integrated Approach First-Hand
When we began, COAF found a healthcare model that was consistent with what we’d seen throughout Armenia, and to be honest, many other places around the world: care at the clinic was purely medical. As COAF’s health team lead, I saw first hand how introducing integrated care improved the lives of patients at the local clinic. And now, we’re ready to share our lessons learned, our successes, and most importantly, its potential benefits to 26 clinics across rural Armavir. 

Here is just one example: An older woman with a chronic condition, grieving the loss of a family member, frequently sought care at the clinic. Just how much her grief impacted her ability to manage her health had not been recognized, nor was there a framework to address it in primary care. With the new model, the integrated care team reached out and began working with her, providing psychosocial support that helped her navigate her grief and improve her overall health. Not all cases have such a striking connection between psychosocial needs and health, but even modest support can make a big difference.

We understand this intuitively, but often neglect this necessary component in discussions about what good healthcare is. Most of us know that stressors affect more than just how we feel. They impact our mood, sleep, relationships, and our daily functioning. During periods of stress, we often neglect our own care, not to mention the physiological changes that stress has on the body.

Though we don’t have good data, in Armenia, we have significant reason to believe that stress, PTSD, depression, and anxiety, are widespread. This is not surprising given what people in Armenia have been through in the past forty years. In a 2018 national study, 21 percent of adolescents aged 11-15 years old reported feeling signs of depression, and this percentage only increased with age. 

If left unidentified and untreated, these conditions increase vulnerability to chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension, as well as alcoholism and other substance abuse disorders. It is therefore clear that Armenia requires robust, accessible mental health and social work systems, ideally integrated into primary care.

Dr. Lorky Libaridian at the grand opening of the Dsegh Health Center in Lori, 2024

Today, We Have the Opportunity to Advance Integrated Care in Armenia
The opportunity to disseminate an integrated care model in Armenia is in front of us now. That is why, at COAF, we are engaging our global community to help us scale lessons we have learned in Lori across the Armavir region.

This Spring, COAF has launched a Spring Appeal to expand our health programs across 67 villages. This initiative includes an expansion of preventive dental programs in kindergartens, and capacity building in primary care which will reach 26 clinics—with integrated care being a fundamental building block of that process.

This is an opportunity to support individuals in managing their stressors, improve their quality of life, and the subsequent long-term benefits, including decreasing early mortality.

It is easy to lose sight of the importance of providing integrated care, but it is not every day that we have the chance to come together, as a community, and push forward something so beneficial for families in Armenia’s rural regions.

The Dsegh Health Center was built by COAF, where it worked with the Armenian Ministry of Health to pilot reforms to healthcare policy

We hope you will join us in making this vision a reality for thousands of families across the region of Armavir.

Learn more at the COAF website.

The Children of Armenia Fund is a nonprofit, non-governmental organization dedicated to transforming the lives of children in rural Armenia through a comprehensive approach to education, healthcare, social services, and economic development. COAF helps young Armenians expand their universe so that they can shape a brighter future.

Dr. Lorky Libaridian is a graduate of the Yale School of Medicine, former Harvard School of Medicine Faculty, and the Health Team Lead at The Children of Armenia Fund. COAF is a non-profit organization founded with the goal of ensuring that every child can reach their full potential. This Spring, COAF is expanding its healthcare initiative to nurture the healthy foundations families need to thrive.

Catherine Manukyan is an intern at The Children of Armenia Fund.




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First Armenia-Turkey Commission on Joint Use Water Resources Meets in Yerevan

Alex Nanijanian
by Asbarez Staff

 

 May 21, 2026

 

in Armenia, Artsakh, Featured Story, Latest, News, Top Stories

Joint Armenia-Turkey Water Commission meets in Yerevan on May 21


The first meeting of the Armenia-Turkey Commission on the joint use of the Akhuryan and Araks rivers was held in Yerevan, Armenia’s Water Committee reported on Thursday.

The meeting began at the Armenia-Turkey border checkpoint and later moved to the Jrar, Inc. facilities, which is a subsidiary of the Territorial Administration Ministry.

According to a statement, the meeting addressed the management of the operation of the Sardarabad water regulator and the Akhuryan reservoir.

Tigran Vardanyan, Director of Jrar, said that the signed documents were drawn up on mutually beneficial terms. A number of important agreements were reached during the meeting, the statement said.

No other details were publicized.

At the end of last month, the joint task force to revitalize the operation of the Gyumri-Kars Railway met in Kars.

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City of L.A. Launches New Historic Preservation Framework for Armenian-America

Arpi Talalian
by Contributor

 

 May 21, 2026

 

in Community, Featured Main, Latest, News, Top Stories

Photo from USC First Ferrahian School Dance, July, 1965 (Dornsife Institute of Armenian Studies archive)


USC Institute of Armenian Studies Partners with City of LA to Document Armenian-American Heritage

LOS ANGELES— Los Angeles City Planning’s Office of Historic Resources (OHR) on Thursday announced the launch of work on the City’s Armenian American Historic Context Statement, a comprehensive historic preservation framework for Armenian American heritage. The forthcoming context statement may be the first municipal historic context document nationally to focus specifically on Armenian American heritage.

“The Armenian American Historic Context Statement is a welcome recognition of the significant role Armenian Americans have played in the making of modern Los Angeles,” said Los Angeles City Councilmember Adrin Nazarian. “For over a hundred years, Armenian immigrants and their descendants have made critical contributions to education, the arts and sciences, business, and civic life in Los Angeles. The locations associated with their achievements should be recorded and celebrated.”

Historic context statements are concise documents that help identify and evaluate historical resources by focusing on how geography, history, and culture have influenced a community’s development over time. The Armenian American Historic Context Statement will become a part of the Citywide Historic Context Statement developed through SurveyLA, the groundbreaking citywide historic resources survey that serves as a primary planning tool for identifying, recording, and evaluating historic properties and districts in Los Angeles. It will join several other citywide context statements addressing ethnic-cultural themes, including contexts for African American History, Latino Los Angeles, and the heritage associated with five of the city’s largest Asian American communities.

“LA City Planning is honored to partner with the Armenian American community to help advance the identification, protection, conservation, and celebration of the city’s Armenian heritage,” said Vince Bertoni, Director of Planning. “The Project will enhance our department’s ongoing efforts to broaden public awareness of the city’s diverse cultural heritage, making the places and stories associated with underrepresented histories more visible and legible.”

With the launch of the project, the project team is also beginning extensive community engagement to elicit information on places that are significant and meaningful to the local Armenian American community. The feedback received will help prioritize selected sites and incorporate community-based knowledge about these significant historic resources, ensuring that the documented history is accurate, inclusive, and reflective of the community’s experiences. In-person interviews with subject matter experts and stakeholders will help support a fuller, more complex telling of Armenian histories and lived experiences by bringing a wider variety of voices into the project.

“The USC Dornsife Institute of Armenian Studies is delighted to lend our expertise and rich archival collections to this momentous historical record of Armenian life in Los Angeles,” said Institute Director Dr. Shushan Karapetian. “As an Institute focused on contemporary Armenian Studies, with a particular emphasis on the diaspora in Los Angeles, we are uniquely positioned to contribute critical scholarly insight that reflects the depth, diversity, and enduring impact of Armenian communities across the city.”

The Armenian American Historic Context Statement has been made possible through a $170,000 grant initiated by former City Council President Paul Krekorian. OHR has engaged Environmental Science Associates (ESA), in partnership with the USC Dornsife Institute of Armenian Studies, to research and prepare the Historic Context Statement, along with two associated City Historic-Cultural Monument nominations for Armenian American historic resources.

The project team encourages participation in a survey on Armenian American heritage.

For more information about the HistoricPlacesLA Revealed project and other initiatives by the Office of Historic Resources, please visit LA City Planning’s website.

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Asbarez: ‘Return to Western Azerbaijan’ Festival to be Held in Nakhichevan

Aram Torosian
by Asbarez Staff

 

 May 21, 2026

 

in Armenia, Artsakh, Featured Story, Latest, My Turn, Top Stories

As official Baku continues to advance the narrative of “Western Azerbaijan,” by claiming that much of the eastern portion of Armenia is historically Azerbaijani territory, it was reported on Thursday that a so-called “Return to Western Azerbaijan” festival and congress will take place in Nakhichevan next month.

The event, slated to be held from June 18 to 19, is the third such gathering and is jointly organized by the Azerbaijani presidential representation in Nakhichevan, the education ministry, Nakhichevan State University and the so-called “Western Azerbaijan” community, the state run report.az reported.

According to the same news source, the congress, which will take place in Ordubad, will feature reports by researchers, public officials and social scientists about “the realities, historical heritage and prospects of return of Western Azerbaijan.”

The festival portion of the event part “will feature presentations reflecting national-cultural values, artistic creations and the spirit of unity,” according to report.az.

Yerevan has repeatedly stated that there has never been and cannot be a so-called “Western Azerbaijan” on the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia, and discussion on this issue must not even take place.

“How many times have we had the opportunity to say that the discussion about ‘Western Azerbaijan’ and its advancement or support from Azerbaijani state structures does not conform with the framework of and the peace process, good neighborliness, recognition of each other’s political independence and territorial integrity, which we have initiated with our Azerbaijani partners. How many times have we publicly reaffirmed our commitments, we have signed documents and will continue to have them. Yes, we do not have an agreement on this issue,” Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan told reporters on Thursday.

When asked by Azaturyun.am whether Yerevan will discuss the matter with President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan, Mirzoyan responded that they will address the matter with officials in Baku.

“You know, I wouldn’t put it that way, I would say that it really doesn’t fit into the grand vision of peace, to which we have also reaffirmed our commitment several times,” Mirzoyan said, emphasizing that he believes Azerbaijan pursuing this agenda “does not contribute to peace in the least.”

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