Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has announced plans to nationalize the Ararat Cement Plant, which is owned by businessman and leader of the Prosperous Armenia Party, Gagik Tsarukyan.

Speaking during an election campaign event in the Lori region, Pashinyan said the facility would be transferred to state ownership in the near future following alleged illegal schemes uncovered by authorities, and that a temporary administrator would be appointed to manage the plant.

“The backbone of Prosperous Armenia party leader Tsarukyan’s business — the Ararat Cement Plant — will be state-owned and will belong to the Republic of Armenia. Because the Guloyan–Tsarukyan scheme has been exposed,” Pashinyan said, referring to an alleged scheme involving Tsarukyan’s son-in-law and former governor of Kotayk, Karapet Guloyan.

“The Government of the Republic of Armenia has already received a letter from the Prosecutor’s Office stating that this property is subject to nationalization. In the near future, very quickly, just as we appointed an administrator at Electric Networks of Armenia, we will also appoint an administrator at the Ararat Cement Plant. I congratulate all employees of the Ararat Cement Plant on their liberation. From this moment on, they no longer need to follow any instructions from Tsarukyan or Guloyan, because their employer is now the Republic of Armenia. The Ararat Cement Plant will very soon be de jure returned to the Armenian people,” Pashinyan said.

The factory, stylized as AraratCement, is located in the town of Ararat in the eponymous province. It was reportedly acquired by Tsarukyan’s Multi Group in the early 2000s.

Armenia’s Prosecutor General’s Office said it reviewed the privatization of the factory carried out under a 2002 government decision, and following findings suggesting possible criminal elements, it submitted a crime report to the Anti-Corruption Committee on May 5, 2026, which led to the opening of a criminal case on May 7, 2026 on charges related to abuse of official powers and large-scale money laundering.

In parallel with the investigation, the Prosecutor’s Office continued to exercise its mandate to protect state interests, including sending a letter to the Government of Armenia on May 5, 2026, proposing that appropriate administrative measures be considered to address violations and their consequences at the company, including the possible appointment of an interim administrator.

The original version of this article has been updated to include a statement from the Prosecutor General’s Office.

An Armenian high school student has won the third award in the Physics and Astronomy category at the final round of the annual Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), held in Phoenix, Arizona, U.S., organizers have announced.

The winner, Albert Shahinyan, is a 12th-grade student at the National Polytechnic University of Armenia’s High School in Yerevan.

Shahinyan’s research, titled The Enhancement of Atmospheric Water Vapor Condensation Using Multilayer Graphene-Coated Porous Ceramic Substrates, focuses on utilizing mechanically exfoliated multilayer graphene (MLG) sheets to enhance atmospheric water harvesting (AWH) on a porous ceramic substrate.

Albert Shahinyan was given the opportunity to participate in Regeneron ISEF 2026 after winning the Armenian School Science Festival.

Ayb School students Maria Melikyan (12th grade) and Alyona Hakobyan (11th grade) also participated in ISEF 2026, presenting the Sorbroot project in the Environmental Engineering category.

The Armenian School Science Festival, initiated in 2021 by the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of the Republic of Armenia, has become an annual event, with applications currently open for the 2027 edition.

From May 9 to May 15, more than 1,700 young scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs, and inventors gathered at the Phoenix Convention Center for a week of events, connecting with their peers and global STEM leaders, and more than $7 million in awards and prizes—marking more than 75 years of Regeneron ISEF.

The finalists, selected from 365 affiliate fairs in more than 60 countries, regions, and territories, have all completed exemplary research projects and earned the right to compete at Regeneron ISEF by winning at a Society-affiliated local, regional, state, or national science fair.

An Armenian official is participating in the Asia and the Pacific Transport Forum (APTF) 2026 — the Asian Development Bank’s flagship transport sector event in Manila, the Philippines, where he presented Armenia’s ongoing transport cooperation projects.

Narek Zulalyan, Deputy Executive Director of the Road Department, the state agency responsible for ensuring the effective implementation of transport projects in Armenia, participated in the “ADB Transport Investments: Past, Present and Future” panel discussion, where he presented projects implemented and currently underway in Armenia’s transport sector within the framework of cooperation with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), possible directions for future planned investments, as well as prospects for the sector’s strategic development and international cooperation.

Minister of High-Tech Industry Mkhitar Hayrapetyan has lauded the “unprecedented” export of Armenian-made armaments worth millions of dollars, describing it as the first time homegrown defense products have been sold to foreign buyers.

Speaking at a press conference, Hayrapetyan declined to disclose the names of the companies involved, the total value of the deals, or the destination countries, saying there is still no final agreement among all parties regarding disclosure.

“This is the beginning of a long journey, as there will be new deals in the future as well,” Hayrapetyan said, adding that more companies have already received permission from the Armenian government to export to a larger number of countries, while others are still in the process of obtaining authorization.

Hayrapetyan had first announced the exports on May 19. He said the arms were exported by three Armenian companies, while the weapons were exported to two countries.

Armenia’s leading R&D companies and engineering teams will showcase their technological products, defense systems, and innovative solutions on a single platform at the two-day high-tech exhibition and forum RISE Powered by Silicon Mountains 2026, which will take place on June 3–4 at the Karen Demirchyan Sports and Concert Complex in Yerevan.

Armenia’s high-tech sector will present ideas from its engineering community as fully developed final products at the upcoming exhibition, Minister of High-Tech Industry Mkhitar Hayrapetyan said during a press briefing ahead of the event.

He noted that the showcase will feature solutions designed and produced in Armenia, reflecting the country’s engineering capabilities and innovation potential. Hayrapetyan also stated that the Government of Armenia has provided 60 million drams in grant funding to the Union of Employers of Information and Communication Technologies (UEICT) to support the organization of the event.

The minister added that in recent years Armenia has managed to position itself as a technology-driven country in the region, and while this progress is welcome, it is time to transition from being a provider of technology services to becoming a country that develops, produces, and exports its own products.

He emphasized that the event will give Armenian companies an opportunity to present years of work within a framework of public accountability, showcasing the results of their long-term development efforts.

According to Eduard Musayelyan, Executive Director of UEICT, the exhibition is unique as it highlights Armenia’s most recent achievements and innovations in engineering and cybersecurity. He noted that more than 40 companies will take part in the showcase, adding: “We want to demonstrate what Armenian minds are capable of.”

Armen Baldryan, Chairman of UEICT and CEO of Unicomp LLC, said that Armenia has many strong contributors to global industry who have long been active in international technological production. He emphasized that one of the main goals is to support the development of fully fledged Armenian-made products, noting that this path will enhance the country’s economic competitiveness.

The name RISE stands for Research, Innovation, Science, and Engineering and serves as a major platform for showcasing Armenian high-tech products.

Starting in 2026, following recommendations from the members of the Union of Employers of Information and Communication Technologies (UEICT) and numerous partners, the Silicon Mountains series is expanding to include a new spring event—Silicon Mountains RISE—under the slogan “We Are Our Mountains: Rise.” The event is aimed at presenting the technological products, innovative solutions, scientific achievements, and ideas of Armenian companies, research centers, and engineering teams, as well as strengthening Armenia’s image as a high-tech country and accelerating the further development of the sector.

The exhibition will also feature a forum with three panel discussions: Cybersecurity, Defense Industry, and Engineering Solutions.

The Union of Employers of Information and Communication Technologies (UEICT)was founded in 2015 by leading industry players and today represents more than 130 member companies with more than 30.000 employees.

Since 2019, UEICT has been organizing the annual Silicon Mountains Tech Summit, which has grown into one of Armenia’s premier high-tech events. To date, the summit has brought together over 100 speakers and more than 6,000 participants, connecting Armenia’s technology ecosystem with global leaders, innovators, and decision-makers.

Beginning in 2024, UEICT expanded the geographical reach of Silicon Mountains beyond Yerevan. For the first time, the summit was held in Gyumri, Shirak region, followed by the 2025 forum at the COAF SMART Center in Lori, further strengthening regional engagement and innovation across Armenia.

In 2027, Armenia will become the country of honor for the “Next Step Studio” initiative within the La Semaine de la Critique (Critics’ Week) program of the 80th Cannes Film Festival, marking an important opportunity for the international promotion of Armenian cinema and the advancement of young filmmakers.

Within the framework of the program, four Armenian and four international directors will collaborate in Armenia to produce four short films, which will later be presented at Cannes, the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport said in a statement.

With Armenia named the country in focus at the event, Armenian participants will also have the opportunity to pitch their upcoming feature-length projects to representatives of the international film industry. The initiative is considered an important step toward increasing the international visibility of Armenian cinema, expanding cooperation, and strengthening cultural diplomacy.

The announcement was made during the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, which was attended by Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of Armenia Daniel Danielyan.

“Armenia is represented at Cannes with dignity. Following the inclusion of five films by the great master of Armenian cinema Artavazd Peleshyan in the Cannes Classics program, this new announcement carries a deeply symbolic, even historic significance for us,” Danielyan said, emphasizing the unique role of Critics’ Week in world cinema, particularly in nurturing and discovering new talent.

Johannes Luchner, the Deputy Director-General at the Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs of the European Commission, visited Armenia to present the country’s progress in the implementation of the Visa Liberalization Action Plan (VLAP).

Luchner and Armenia’s Minister of Internal Affairs, Arpine Sargsyan—who is the country’s lead negotiator on the EU VLAP—held a joint press conference on Wednesday and emphasized Armenia’s achievements.

The Minister of Internal Affairs, Arpine Sargsyan, first expressed her gratitude to the European Commission for its continuous and constructive cooperation with Armenia, emphasizing the positive assessments included in the progress report, which, according to her, are highly significant and create a strong sense of responsibility.

“It is also important that the progress report once again notes Armenia’s political commitment to ensuring the implementation of the action plan.

This process is not only about facilitating the mobility of Armenian citizens; it is about trust, dignified partnership, and establishing closer ties with the European family. I want to state that, on the one hand, this process will provide Armenian citizens with the opportunity for dignified travel; on the other hand, it will create opportunities for the Armenian authorities to ensure long-term institutional changes in Armenia.

I want to state that, thanks to our efforts, we are getting closer to visa liberalization day by day. This is a very important and responsible observation for us. We attach great importance to the fact that the progress report records accelerated progress, especially in such sensitive areas as biometric documents, the biometric system, border management, migration, and asylum issues.

This assessment, in essence, is yet another opportunity to state that Armenia is a predictable, responsible, and trustworthy partner for the European Union,” the minister noted.

Minister Sargsyan emphasized that the VLAP is not simply another process for Armenia. She described it as an important step and highlighted that the inaugural Armenia–EU Summit took place recently, during which highly important agreements were signed.

“As you recall, we had 74 benchmarks in this process, and we have received 53 recommendations from our partners, which are carefully reflected in the report. We are ready to continue implementing all recommendations with the same consistency. I am glad to say that cooperation with Europol has become closer as a result of the appointment of Armenia’s liaison officer, which will further develop our relations. We will make maximum use of all the opportunities that the appointment of the liaison officer will bring.

I would also like to mention that Armenia is now the only country in the world with which the EU is so actively engaged in a visa liberalization dialogue. I would like to reassure you that, as a result of joint work and mutual trust, today we already have the action plan and the first progress report. We will move forward consistently, duly implementing all actions envisaged in the plan within the set timeframes,” Minister Sargsyan said.

She noted that this is the most tangible component for Armenian citizens on the path of EU integration, which will directly affect people’s lives and quality of life, giving citizens of Armenia the opportunity to become more closely acquainted with Europe than ever before.

Johannes Luchner, Deputy Director-General of the Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs of the European Commission, also stated that relations between the EU and Armenia are closer today than ever. According to him, the European Political Community Summit and the first Armenia–EU Summit are clear evidence of this.

“I want to emphasize that the European Commission, the Armenian authorities, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are taking this process very seriously and are ready to deliver high-level results. Citizens of the Republic of Armenia will soon have the opportunity to obtain biometric passports. A unified population registry will be created, and work is underway to implement a number of other reforms.

I fully understand the impatience of citizens regarding the move toward a full visa-free regime. However, we must acknowledge that significant progress has already been made,” he said.

According to Johannes Luchner, the EU is now issuing more visas and multiple-entry visas to Armenian citizens and is making joint efforts to reduce the number of visa application refusals.

“At the same time, we are working in parallel to ensure more trade and investment. Active work is also being carried out in the fields of research, education, and cultural exchange, and we view visa liberalization as only one component of the broader relationship between the European Union and Armenia,” he concluded.

Armenia received the EU’s first progress report on the visa liberalization action plan on May 5 during the first Armenia–EU Summit in Yerevan.