Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and other senior members of the Civil Contract party continued campaigning across Yerevan ahead of the June 7 parliamentary elections.

Pashinyan, who is officially on leave for the campaign period, spoke to residents in the Arabkir district about statehood, independence, as well as achievements in the science sector.

He stressed that Armenia, having gone through difficult trials, has managed to gain independent statehood.

“Yes, we have gone through war, we have had casualties, but by going through all of that, we have gained a state and independence,” he said.

According to the Prime Minister, the families of fallen servicemen should understand that their children died for the preservation of Armenia’s statehood.

“Today, every parent of a fallen soldier should know that their son, their child, has fallen so that their state may endure, so that their state may become independent, become a real state, become prosperous, become free, become happy,” Pashinyan noted.

Speaking about achievements in science, he highlighted his government’s increased funding.

“Since 2018, funding for science in Armenia has increased threefold,” the Prime Minister said.

According to Pashinyan, scientific institutions have been supplied with equipment funded by the state budget that had never previously been available in Armenia.

He emphasized that a supercomputer acquired through state funding is now operating at Yerevan State University.

Nineteen political forces are running in the June 7 parliamentary election.

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys will arrive in Armenia on May 19 on an official visit, the foreign ministry announced on Monday.

Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan will hold a meeting with his Lithuanian counterpart, followed by a joint press conference.

AraratBank press release 

Fraudsters are continuously changing and improving their methods, using new schemes to steal money.

Although it is impossible to provide a complete and comprehensive description of all types of fraud due to their evolving nature, customers can visit the official website of AraratBank to learn about the most common fraud schemes identified recently. Through these schemes, fraudsters may may gain access to customers’ devices and carry out various actions, including applying for loans, transferring funds, blocking devices and performing other actions.

The article also includes a number of security rules and recommendations aimed at preventing card fraud.

Information on the most frequently encountered fraud cases in recent periods, together with key protective measures, is available on the Bank’s official website.

Scheme 1: Fraudsters call individuals, posing as representatives of a telecommunications company offering 5G internet services. They then request that users make certain adjustments on their mobile phones. As a result, the fraudsters gain remote access to the device and the applications installed on it, including banking apps.

Scheme 2: Fraudsters contact individuals through various communication channels and inform them that their mobile operator contract has expired and needs to be renewed.

To protect yourself from these two schemes:

Do not follow any instructions provided by unknown individuals. Do not provide remote access to your mobile device. Do not download suspicious applications or software. In case of any doubt, immediately contact the relevantg service provider or the bank.

Scheme 3: Fraudsters may use artificial intelligence to imitate people’s voice or create fake profiles on Viber, WhatsApp, or other platforms using photos of relatives or friends to send messages. Impersonating a trusted contact, they may request money transfers, personal and card details, or one-time passwords (OTP).

Recommendations:

Do not rely on a call or message based only on a photo or voice as proof of identity. Before transferring money or sharing any information, verify the request by contacting the person through another communication channel. Never share card details, passwords, or OTPs. Immediately stop communication and contact the relevant person or the bank in case of suspicious calls or messages.

Scheme 4: Fake pages appear on social media, posting promotional advertisements in the name of various companies. Please remain vigilant and avoid responding to these advertisements in any form.

Recommendations:

Do not share personal or bank card details; Do not click on unknown links; Use only official sources to obtain information.

Scheme 5: After posting a sales advertisement on a platform such as List.am, fraudsters may contact the seller while posing as potential buyers and deceive the customer into becoming a victim of fraud.

Customers should remain vigilant, as card fraud schemes become particularly active during periods of major discounts and promotional campaigns. To ensure the protection of card data and funds, and taking into account the increase in online transactions and fraud cases during such periods:

shop online only from trusted and verified websites. before making an online purchase, check reviews and feedback on the store, and make sure the site was registered at least a year ago. shop only from secure websites and make sure that the website uses “https://” and is trustworthy. verify that the website provides complete store contact information, including address, phone number, email address, and detailed information on shipping address and return policies. contact the store in advance when making major purchasing decisions and trust only reasonable discounts.

·         in the case of discounts and attractive offers, avoid clicking on suspicious links.

do not share your card password, CVV code, or OTPs. immediately end suspicious or unfamiliar phone calls and contact the Bank upon receiving suspicious messages.

·         pay attention to website address, as fraudsters often change one or two letters in the names of official websites.

Scheme 6. Recently, there has been an increase in fraudulent calls and messages impersonating banks, through which fraudsters attempt to obtain customers’ card and personal data by offering various prizes, rewards, or promotional offers.

Please remain vigilant and remember:

• The Bank never requests card details, PIN codes, CVV code, or one-time passwords.

If you receive suspicious calls, please contact your mobile operator or call AraratBank at +374 10 59 23 23.

AraratBank is regulated by the Central Bank of the Republic of Armenia.

Armenia’s annual Dolma Festival will return on May 24, bringing together chefs, visitors and culinary enthusiasts to celebrate dolma — one of the country’s signature dishes — through tastings, competitions and cultural performances.

The event will take place at the Zvartnots Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve in Vagharshapat, about 18 km west of Yerevan.

“During the festival, there will be more than 30 pavilions where chefs will present a wide variety of dolma dishes,” said Ani Nazaryan, Festivals Program Manager at the Armenian Cookery Traditions Development and Preservation NGO, led by master chef Sedrak Mamulyan.

The festival will also feature a chefs’ competition in several categories, including Best Taste, Best Appearance, Best Idea and Grand Winner, with winners selected by a professional jury. Visitors will additionally enjoy Armenian traditional music and dance performances, while Ethno Colors Band will deliver a live performance.

Sedrak Mamulyan, President of the Armenian Cookery Traditions Development and Preservation NGO, said the festival is a good opportunity to showcase and promote Armenian national cuisine and, in turn, increase the country’s appeal to tourists.

Mamulyan noted that the festival will feature special varieties of dolma prepared with unusual recipes.

“This active tourism season is an opportunity to present Armenia’s national cuisine to guests visiting the country. I should note that more than 60 varieties of dolma will be presented within the framework of the festival. From the selection of previous years, I would like to highlight dolma prepared in pumpkin flowers or with seafood. Truly, varieties of dolma with very interesting recipes will be presented,” Mamulyan said.

He noted that this is a good platform for presenting dishes prepared with traditional recipes, as well as chefs’ new ideas. The Armenian Cookery Traditions Development and Preservation NGO has been conducting long-term research to rediscover forgotten recipes of national cuisine.

Mekhak Apresyan, President of the Armenian Tourism Federation, highlighted the significance of the Dolma Festival.

“This festival is a unique tourism product and a platform for shaping and developing other programs. It is of significant importance in terms of increasing Armenia’s tourism appeal.”

More than 30 international journalists and bloggers have been invited to cover the Dolma Festival, and over 5,000 visitors are expected to attend.

Armenian law enforcement agencies have launched a criminal investigation to identify and apprehend individuals who made death threats in an alleged assassination plot against Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in a video shared online.

The video shows a masked man speaking, while four others—also wearing masks—stand behind him, brandishing what appear to be AKS-74U assault rifles.

The Investigative Committee stated in a press release that the individuals illegally accessed restricted computer network data to share the video during a live broadcast. It said:

“Motivated by hatred and intolerance, and combined with hooligan motives during a live broadcast, they disseminated a video containing a threat that poses a real danger of committing murder against the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, related to his state and political activities and conditioned by his political views.”

In the video, the masked man, addressing Pashinyan, says: “We know where and when you are going… you must answer for your every step.”

A criminal proceeding has been initiated in connection with an alleged assassination plot (conspiracy to commit murder) as well as computer system sabotage and the illegal circulation of firearms and ammunition. An investigation is underway to identify the suspects.

Pashinyan himself responded to the video while campaigning for the June 7 election:

“They have put on masks, as if they are strong men. But do you know why they are wearing masks? Because once they take them off, we will see that these are the ones who abandoned our soldiers and ran away, filled with fear. I do not rule out that they are also the ones who fired from behind.

Go on, take off your masks, come out—let me see who you are. You come to Armenia wearing masks and making videos with automatic weapons? I will find each and every one of you. Take off your masks and present yourselves voluntarily.

You left our children alone in the positions and ran away, you scum, you scoundrels. You ran away at Ferrari speed—who are you to speak? Are you the ones who come to tell us that we sacrificed our children? You are the ones who fled from positions.

We will bring each and every one of you to your knees, we will hold you accountable for leaving our children alone and fleeing,” said Pashinyan.

Deputy Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Nurlan Seitimov and his delegation met with Central Electoral Commission (CEC) Chairman Vahagn Hovakimyan in Yerevan, the CEC said in a press release.

Seitimov heads the CIS observer mission.

The CIS will deploy a total of 120 observers to Armenia for the upcoming parliamentary elections.

The CEC said in a press release that Hovakimyan welcomed the representatives of the observation mission and presented the Central Electoral Commission’s preparations for the upcoming elections.

Speaker of Parliament Alen Simonyan on Monday said that opposition forces running in the June 7 parliamentary elections are “hopeless” and suggested that they may fail to reach the minimum vote threshold required to win seats.

“It is obvious that the political parties considered to be the main opposition forces have a problem overcoming the minimum threshold,” Simonyan, a senior member of the ruling Civil Contract party, told reporters.

He said the Armenia Alliance, led by former president Robert Kocharyan, would “obviously” fail to secure enough votes. “They will obviously fail to overcome the electoral threshold. For them, it is impossible to garner one hundred thousand votes in Armenia, I am sure. That’s why Robert Kocharyan is ready to do anything—to say nice things, to flatter, to say he likes listening to Dua Lipa, to make insults—just to get a reaction,” he said.

Simonyan also criticized the Strong Armenia alliance, led by business tycoon Samvel Karapetyan, claiming they are unfamiliar with Armenian society.

“With regard to Strong Armenia, it is also obvious that the mysterious veil of a so-called new force was lifted in March. When the lights were turned on, everything became crystal clear: those people don’t even know Armenian spelling, they don’t know Armenian society, and have no idea what they are talking about. They are left with only one thing—to insult, provoke, display aggression, and try to understand how the government will respond,” Simonyan said.

The Speaker also questioned whether Gagik Tsarukyan’s Prosperous Armenia party would secure enough votes to enter parliament.

The electoral threshold for political parties is 4%, while alliances of up to three parties must pass an 8% threshold. Alliances consisting of three or more parties must pass a 10% threshold.

Nineteen political forces are running in the June 7 parliamentary election.

YEREVAN, 18 MAY, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 18 May, USD exchange rate down by 0.19 drams to 368.04 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 0.99 drams to 427.96 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate up by 0.0424 drams to 5.0736 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 1.47 drams to 491.3 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price down by 1863 drams to 53579 drams. Silver price down by 95.69 drams to 931.71 drams.

The Head of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s election observer delegation to the 7 June parliamentary elections in Armenia will be in Yerevan on 22-23 May in preparation for the full deployment of observers next month, OSCE PA press service said in a statement.

Jevrosima Pejović, member of the Parliament of Montenegro and Vice-Chair of the OSCE PA General Committee on Political Affairs and Security, who has been appointed by OSCE PA President Pere Joan Pons to serve as the Head of the OSCE PA Delegation of observers, will meet with a wide range of interlocutors to learn more about the overall pre-electoral environment.

The visit aims to offer insights into the pre-electoral context and preparations for the upcoming elections. Over two days, Pejović will meet with representatives of state authorities, the election administration, political parties and alliances, civil society organizations, media representatives, and the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) Mission already deployed on the ground.

Pejović will work alongside Special Co-ordinator Farah Karimi (Netherlands), who will lead the short-term OSCE observer mission.

The OSCE PA’s election observation mission will work closely with the observation mission of OSCE/ODIHR, as well as delegations from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) and the European Parliament (EP).

The Assembly has a longstanding record of engagement in Armenia and has observed numerous elections in the country over the years with the first mission dating back to 1995. This continued involvement reflects the OSCE PA’s commitment to supporting democratic institutions and electoral processes across the OSCE region.

More than 100 parliamentarians and staff from over 30 countries across the OSCE region are expected to take part in the OSCE PA’s election observation mission, contributing to a comprehensive assessment of the electoral process.

The Armenian authorities have taken out loans to implement army reforms and develop the security system, as it required significant financial resources, Prime Minister and Chairman of the Civil Contract Party Nikol Pashinyan said during a meeting with residents of Yerevan’s Arabkir administrative district.

Speaking about army reforms, the social security of servicemen and Armenia’s security policy, Pashinyan said the government had borrowed funds to carry out reforms.

“Yes, we have taken on debt to implement reforms. Why did we take on debt? Because we needed the money urgently and in large amounts,” Pashinyan said.

According to him, Armenia’s public debt remains at an acceptable level by international standards.

Pashinyan compared these investments to families purchasing apartments through mortgage loans.

“In the same way, we have invested in the well-being of our country,” he said.Pashinyan also referred to the military parade scheduled for May 28 in Republic Square, stating that citizens would see an army of a completely new quality there.

He noted that servicemen participating in the “Defender of the Fatherland” program would also take part in the parade.

According to Pashinyan, under the program, 18-year-old young people enter contract service after six months of training and receive salaries ranging from 300,000 to 600,000 drams.

Pashinyan also announced that starting from 2026, all officers graduating from the Vazgen Sargsyan Military Academy and entering service will receive apartments from the state.

In addition, he said the government had decided to solve the accumulated housing problems of long-serving servicemen and the families of deceased soldiers over the next four years.

Pashinyan added that there are currently servicemen in the Armenian army receiving salaries of up to 700,000 drams.