On June 8, CP will no longer be in power. how to prevent vote theft

May 152026

“Pressing” the guest of Satik Seyranyan in the program Aram Orbelyan, manager-partner of “Concern Dialog” law office, specialist in international law, lawyer is

The main theses of the interview are below.

  • Why is Nikol Pashinyan cursing and insulting his opponents again, I think because he has no other issues and topics on the agenda? The ending will answer many questions. For example, about 5,000 victims. There is no list of victims, no list to this day, when all the tools are in his hands. Why doesn’t it publish? People know that hen: is a proven chronic liar, that’s why they don’t even believe the numbers he publishes:
  • I am not a psychiatrist, but specialists tell me during informal discussions that Pashinyan has clearly expressed elements of schizophrenia. That incessant eating, moving the eyes here and there, irregular movements, jumping from one thought to another, clinging thoughts, the savior syndrome are its components…
  • Parliamentary system of government of the country should not be confused with absolute monarchy. The mandate of the Prime Minister is lower than that of the deputies. The system is not super-prime, simply all the officials who should perform their functions do not perform.:
  • Corruption Prevention Commission (Central Intelligence Agencyan application was submitted to investigate Nikol Pashinyan’s behavior when he called voters “dogs”.shanghai The Central Security Agency, however, published a long text in which it justified Nikol Pashinyan and explained why he said that. In essence, he said, it’s okay to be offended:

Read also

  • TURKS BEHIND THE KP. THE VICTORY WILL BE OURS. Narek Karapetyan
  • Important issues related to the 44-day war that require a military assessment. What should have been done before the election campaign and what should not be done now?
  • The last service of CP to Azerbaijan. Armenia will surrender with the “revolution” of June 7
  • The prosecutor must be able to perform his apolitical function. You open the website of the Prosecutor’s Office, read political texts: we filed a lawsuit against the relative of such and such… All with political content. 
  • I cannot estimate whether the opposition forces will take the mandates or not. If 4-5 opposition forces enter the Parliament, they will form a majority, but how they will cooperate with each other is another question. In this regard, the example of the election of the mayor of Gyumri is very typical. Not taking the parliamentary mandates will not be a solution. Because the risk of impeachment will be a much stronger deterrent in case of transition of 4-5 forces, there will be no sole appointment in certain key positions. But I think the opposition will have a majority. There is another problem here, a much more serious one. On June 8, when the opposition wins, CP will be in power until August. Impeachment should be made possible by August, because during that time anything is possible, including stealing the people’s vote.:
  • No one from the active opposition forces of Armenia has talked about taking back some territory with the armed forces. Therefore, if Pashinyan says that there will be a war in September, let’s understand why there should be a war. We will not attack. And maybe there are promises that, if not fulfilled, there could be a war? Let him tell me what promises he made.
  • Pashinyan even gave territories to Azerbaijan from the map he drew. In addition, they are talking about bringing 300,000 Azerbaijanis to Armenia. Aliyev also announced this, saying that they appealed to the RA government.
  • What does it mean that my son does not go to the army, does not die at the border… The opposite side of such thinking is the rape of Armenian girls. Is this what we want to allow? Those who say that my son should not go to the army, should not take responsibility for deciding our fate.

  • There is no reason for war, Azerbaijan will not go to war because it will bring many risks for it, it will bring it to the field of extreme adventure. But if this power is reproduced in Armenia, not only Syunik will be in danger, but also the whole of ArmeniaA third Turkish-Azerbaijani state will be created with a different name: 
  • Under any circumstances, there will be no war in September, because Pashinyan will not be in September, because he instigates the war himself, then makes additional concessions, then gives more victims so that he will not be called a traitor. 
  • We don’t want grave peace, the peace we want is something else: security:
  • People should go and vote freely on June 7. We are faced with the imperative to solve the problem of the value system. Let’s remember that as early as 2021 CP wrote in its pre-election program that Artsakh should be de-occupied. That mandate is not over yet, he says: Artsakh is Azerbaijan. What will prevent him from doing the same with Armenia tomorrow? Before going to the polls, listen not only to what he says, but also to what he has done.
  • These authorities teach us to forgive everyone, including Turks who committed genocide, but not Armenians.
  • So far, the only confirmed foreign spy is Ararat Mirzoyan. There has been no official denial of this. Who does Pashinyan call a foreign spy?
  • Those who officially register employees at the headquarters are arrested, but no criminal proceedings are initiated, for example, against the mayor of Tallinn, who apparently distributed election bribes.

  • I am against anyone, any country interfering in the Armenian elections. When the head of the state tells a lie, calls someone a foreign spy, and there is no legal process before that, then he must be subjected to legal and political responsibility.:
  • No one asks me, they take it from my paid taxes and give it to H1. And when H1 spreads lies with the money we paid, this is not a hybrid war, but a crime.
  • It is not necessary for political opposition forces to unite. We must learn parliamentarianism, which teaches that political forces must be distinct from one another, and this is good because it will rule out CP later on.
  • Europe is at a very high risk of falling for a bribe at the moment. I do not want to evaluate the actions of the Russians. 2021 they themselves supported Pashinyan, now they are reaping its fruits.
  • Macron does not respect France when he lies and says that he cannot claim to lead his country in the first place.
  • Citizens can vote for any of the 4 opposition forces that have a chance to enter the Parliament. I would advise the small power polluters not to vote. Most likely, with all its administrative resources, CP will not be in the first place. I repeat: we should not wait for the end of his tenure in August, we should be able to carry out a smooth change of power. Everyone should be ready for this, including the CP, because on the very next day of the election, on June 8, it is possible to reach impeachment through the streets and the Parliament.

Details in the video.




168: Turks’ mustaches are behind the Communist Party. The victory will be ours. Narek Karape

May 152026

The guest of 168TV’s program “Zara has a question” is Narek Karapetyan, a member of the board of the “Strong Armenia” party.is

During the regular campaign in Gegharkunik marz 168amasked Narek Karapetyan about the pre-election expectations and the post-election perspective, they discussed the security theses in the field, the pledges of peace, as well as the economic potential of Armenia. Theses of the conversation are below.

  • During the war of 2020, the man who was the prime minister had a doubt: “How did Artsakh become ours?”, why did he call on the Armenian people, volunteers, hundreds and thousands of people to go to the front, to give their lives and health for Artsakh? With what kind of responsibility will he look into the eyes of those people, parents, girls, whose children, husbands he sent to the front, who lost either their health or their lives?

Secondly, there were many projects in Artsakh, there were mines in Artsakh, there were factories, productions in Artsakh, 25 percent of Armenian wheat, 100,000 tons of wheat was supplied to Armenia by Artsakh. currently all of Armenia produces 100,000 tons, Artsakh was sending a significant amount of electricity from renewable hydropower to Armenia, which helped us import less gas.

Read also

  • The spiritual joy of the pilgrims was doubled
  • On June 8, CP will no longer be in power. how to prevent vote theft. Aram Orbelyan
  • Sale of weapons in exchange for prisoners. “Atlantic Council” experts suggest signing a “big deal” between the USA and Azerbaijan

According to the long-term forecast, Artsakh would become our strongest energy cushion, Artsakh would become our strongest agricultural cushion. in the production of wheat and grain, we would have a chance to achieve self-sufficiency and food security. There are few regions with such climatic conditions in Armenia today. We had a developing region, and there was also a very disciplined population.

You can’t say one thing every time and say something else after a few years. to shirk responsibility. You are responsible for sending those people there, be kind enough to carry that burden to the end, not to say when was ours? And those lives, those people who lost their health, their mutilated destinies, the entire Armenian nation, with the Diaspora, who entered into that struggle, why did they enter? If it wasn’t ours, how did he go there to dance?

Artsakh was ours, it was not ours.

  • Why were those miracles not done during the past 8 years? why, when the main opposition was created, because of which they felt a great danger, and after that they only started working? Why didn’t he get medical insurance for 8 years, why didn’t he increase his pension by 10,000 drams, why did he do it before the elections, because he was afraid? He was afraid that the people would go in the direction of the force that was formed.
  • We are in a region where poverty has increased over 8 years, according to official data, poverty has increased by 4 percent, also because there is no plan. Look, behind us is Sevan, a unique economic unit, the population living in its vicinity has and should have many employment options: tourism, fish farming, fishing. The region with Sevan, with such a fresh lake, must be the most prosperous.
  • Today, our citizens are becoming poorer in many regions, poverty has increased in many marzes over the past 8 years, because prices are rising all over the country, and the reason for the price increases is that the country itself does not produce its own goods. To get out of this situation, we need really prudent, long-term economic plans, and he left everything and went to attack the church.
  • The attack on the church, in our opinion, is a step of “foreign influence”. he was given an order to take the church under control, as during the time of the communists, Stalin, and to be able to remove from the agenda several issues that are the basis of Armenian value systems, for example, the issues of the Genocide, connecting the Diaspora to Armenia. What is the opponent afraid of, what does the person who considers us an opponent, I am not saying the country or the nation, afraid of our diaspora and our church that connects Armenia to the Diaspora?

  • In general, is there an Armenian in the world who is against peace? Who behaved so that he could not start 3 wars in 8 years? can it be his emotions, miscalculation, not understanding diplomacy? He is experimenting on us.

What about peace? what was there, this person has already given, the last thing – they want to sign a weak peace within the framework of the peace treaty, without a guarantor, so that in the future, by bringing the compatriots of their neighboring country here, they will have influence in the country. This is the program. The neighboring country predicts its steps decades in advance, they want to bring those bombs, put them under our country, so that the internal stability will be disturbed.

  • People who see such ears, we must tell them that we also see Turks’ mustaches behind the back of the CP and we see the danger from there. As for other accusations, be sure that only Armenia will benefit from our policy, whoever Armenia makes friends with, and not only with one country, but with many countries, the Republic of Armenia will be enriched. We know its form.
  • The next Prime Minister of Armenia will be Samvel Karapetyan. we have to fight, we will fight, and I see that the victory will be ours.

Details in the video




RFE/RL – Putin To Discuss Armenia’s Future With Ex-Soviet Allies

May 15, 2026


Russia – A Eurasian Economic Union summit in Moscow, May 25, 2023

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reaffirmed on Friday President Vladimir Putin’s plans to discuss Armenia’s continued membership in the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) at an upcoming summit of the leaders of the Russian-led trade bloc.

Following two European summits held in Yerevan last week, Putin said that the Armenian government should choose “as soon as possible” between seeking to join the European Union or remaining part of the EEU. He indicated that he will bring up the matter at the EU summit scheduled to take place in Astana, Kazakhstan on May 28-29, less than two weeks before Armenia’s parliamentary elections.

Pashinian effectively dismissed that demand. Citing the ongoing election campaign, he also announced that he will not attend the summit. Lavrov described Pashinian’s decision as “unfortunate.”

“Now, I believe, there will be an optimal chance to discuss the emerging issues arising from the European Union’s insistence on drawing Armenia into its orbit, including at the cost of ending the benefits Armenia enjoys through the Eurasian Economic Union,” he told reporters, pointing to the Astana summit.

Pashinian’s government enacted a year ago a law that commits it to striving for Armenia’s accession to the EU. The government reaffirmed that objective when it hosted a European Political Community summit and a separate meeting with the EU’s two top officials on May 4-5. But it remains reluctant to set possible dates for formally applying for EU membership and leaving the EEU.

A senior Russian Foreign Ministry official said on Tuesday that the Armenian leadership cannot continue to “view EEU membership as a temporary measure for the duration of the search for or the process of joining an alternative alliance.” Pashinian insisted on Thursday that his foreign policy is not anti-Russian.

“If I had pursued a policy opposed to the EEU, the EEU would have been paralyzed today because decisions in that bloc are made by consensus and no decision can be made if I am against that decision,” he told journalists.

Critics say that even if Pashinian blocks Russia and other EEU member states from ousting Armenia from the bloc, Moscow will still be in a position to impose crippling economic sanctions on Yerevan. Armenia is heavily dependent on Russia for trade and energy, a fact regularly emphasized by Putin and other Russian officials.

Pashinian Steps Up Attacks On Key Opposition Challengers

May 15, 2026
Armenia – Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian campaigns in Yerevan, May 14, 2026.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian has branded Russian-Armenian billionaire Samvel Karapetian a “foreign spy” and pledged to send former President Robert Kocharian back to prison, drawing strongly worded responses from both election challengers.

Pashinian raged at Karapetian on Friday as he recalled the latter’s claims that he will allow a mass influx of Azerbaijanis into Armenia in case of winning the upcoming parliamentary elections.

“You are also a brainless spy because you don’t understand what you are doing,” he said during a campaign trip to the western Armavir province. “You are trying to make the issue of the return of 300,000 Azerbaijanis a political agenda in Armenia. And I say: brainless spies should not get votes.”

Karapetian’s nephew and right-hand man Narek responded by accusing Pashinian and his political team of serving Turkey.

“The Turkish mustache is visible behind each of them,” he told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service as he and other leading members of Karapetian’s Strong Armenia bloc campaigned in the Gegharkunik province.

Armenia – Opposition leader Narek Karapetian speaks during a campaign rally in Yerevan, May 8, 2026.

Samvel Karapetian mainly lived in Russia until being arrested and indicted in Armenia last June. He is unable to physically attend his bloc’s campaign meetings because of remaining under house arrest on what he sees as politically motivated charges.

“Together we will put an end to evil. Change is coming, victory is coming, a strong Armenia is coming,” the 60-year-old tycoon said in a video message to Gegharkunik residents released during a Strong Armenia rally held later in the day.

Pashinian traded insults Kocharian after declaring on Thursday that the 71-year-old ex-president must “serve time” because of his role in a 2008 post-election unrest in Yerevan. Kocharian called him a “moron” hours later. The premier was quick to respond in kind.

Three opposition groups led by Kocharian, Karapetian and another wealthy businessman, Gagik Tsarukian, are widely seen as the ruling Civil Contract party’s main election challengers. During the ongoing election campaign, they have claimed that Pashinian, if reelected, will bow to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s repeated demands for Yerevan to ensure the return of Azerbaijanis who lived in Soviet Armenia until the late 1980s.

Pashinian attacked Tsarukian on the campaign trail on Tuesday by insulting and pledging to jail the opposition leader’s fugitive son.

RFE/RL – College Students ‘Forced To Attend Pashinian Rallies’

May 15, 2026

Armenia – Arman Tatotyan, the leader of the opposition Wings of Unity party, campaigns in Yerevan, May 11, 2026.

An opposition party running in Armenia’s June 7 parliamentary elections said on Friday that college students in the Armavir province were ordered to attend a campaign rally held there by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian.

The Wings of Unity party’s leader, Arman Tatoyan, publicized purported audios of such instructions at a news conference in Yerevan. They apparently feature Lusine Grigorian, an Armavir-based activist of the ruling Civil Contract party who teaches at a regional state college.

“Dear guys, tomorrow at five o’clock we have to gather in the square, this applies to both of your groups,” Grigorian can be heard telling her students.

“I have been instructed to say this and I am instructing you, guys,” she says. “Don’t let it happen that I go and stand in the square and see that neither of my two groups is there. Look, I have to look my superiors in eye and you must look me in the eye.”

“I don’t know why, but it has been instructed to make sure that there are as many of you out there as possible,” she says in another recording.

Grigorian denied any wrongdoing when she was contacted by RFE/RL’s Armenian Service.

“I didn’t give anyone any instructions, it’s a slander. People are trying to get me in trouble for political motives,” she said, refusing to comment further.

Tatoyan did not say when the audios were recorded. He portrayed them as further proof of Pashinian and his party abusing their government levers for electoral purposes. Pashinian campaigned in Armavir on Friday. He ended his campaign trip with a rally held in the provincial capital of the same name.

The recordings were released two days after teachers and students of several public schools in the neighboring Aragatsotn province interrupted classes to attend Pashinian’s campaign rallies. An Armenian election-monitoring group said that they were illegally forced to do so by school principals and local government officials.

Responding to the resulting uproar, the premier said on Thursday he has told four principals to tender their resignations and wait for the findings of an “internal inquiry.” Scores of other schoolchildren were present at his campaign meetings in Armavir held during school classes.

The Office of the Prosecutor-General told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service it will look into the Armavir recordings only if Tatoyan appeals to it “in a manner defined by the law.”

“Had the opposition done such a thing, they would have immediately taken measures and arrested everyone,” complained Tatoyan.

The opposition leader, who served as the country’s human rights ombudsman from 2016-2022, has repeatedly accused the ruling party of abusing its administrative resources since the official start of the election campaign. The Hayastan alliance, a larger opposition group led by former President Robert Kocharian, made similar allegations on Friday.

“There are reports that employees of state and local government bodies are being forced to vote for the ruling party in the June 7 elections under threat of dismissal,” Hayastan said, urging them to call a special hotline opened by it.

No Civil Contract members or supporters have been prosecuted on relevant charges to date. Law-enforcement authorities have arrested dozens of opposition activists and supporters on charges of buying votes or paying people to attend opposition rallies. Virtually all of them are linked to billionaire Samvel Karapetian’s Strong Armenia alliance widely regarded as Pashinian’s number one election challenger.

The Anti-Corruption Committee reported on Friday more such arrests condemned by Strong Armenia as politically motivated.

Upcoming Parliamentary Elections in Armenia Face Significant Polarization and

May 15 2026

As Armenia prepares for its pivotal parliamentary elections on June 7, concerns are mounting regarding social polarisation, rampant hate speech, and aggressive media hostility among competing political factions. The context of these elections is particularly significant, given Armenia’s continued recovery and ongoing tensions after the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The landscape of foreign relations, particularly with Azerbaijan and Türkiye, has escalated the stakes for these elections, making the discourse increasingly heated as both domestic and external factors exert pressure on the political climate.

Despite facing these challenges, Armenia remains committed to holding genuinely competitive elections. The electoral process is notably more open than in many of its regional counterparts, such as Russia. However, the crux of the issue lies not in the competitiveness of the elections, but in the quality of political discourse. Current political debates are heavily influenced by allegiance to or opposition to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, potentially reducing a complex electoral process to mere endorsements of individual leaders instead of robust discussions on policy matters.

As the election day approaches, the threat of disinformation looms large, potentially undermining the electoral integrity. This disinformation is not limited to the campaign period but extends into the voting day and subsequent events, posing a significant risk of exacerbating societal polarization. The constant dissemination of divisive narratives could create an unstable pre-election environment, leading to chaotic post-election scenarios.

Armenia’s substantial diaspora, while a valuable resource, presents its own challenges, as disinformation can easily cross borders and re-enter the national conversation through social media. In this light, it is worth acknowledging that Armenia has made strides in enhancing its capabilities to counter external disinformation threats compared to a decade ago, yet gaps remain in the integration of its defensive measures against hybrid interference.

Recognizing these pressing issues, the European Union recently established the EU Partnership Mission to Armenia (EUPM) to enhance the country’s resilience against hybrid threats. The mission, initiated at Armenia’s request, aims to provide strategic guidance and bolster capacities across various government sectors to combat disinformation, cyber threats, and illicit financial influences in the political arena. The cornerstone objectives of the EUPM include safeguarding against foreign information manipulation and ensuring cohesive communication strategies across government institutions.

As election preparations continue, it is evident that the mission will need to address significant institutional gaps. Effective communication tools are essential to mitigate information voids, ensuring timely updates from authorities that prevent the rapid spread of disinformation. Moreover, collaboration with technology firms is essential for early detection of coordinated misinformation efforts.

The elections are poised to be competitive yet fraught with challenges. As of April 23, the Central Election Commission has registered 19 entities, comprising 17 political parties and 2 electoral unions. However, the real competition appears to be centered more around personalities than substantive political programs, risking a reduction in meaningful debate on future policies.

The opposition, which should theoretically thrive in this competitive landscape, faces its own difficulties in unifying disparate factions into a cohesive front. The ruling party’s standing is further solidified by ongoing public discontent regarding Pashinyan’s governance, despite the multi-faceted internal and external frustrations.

While Armenia has made notable improvements in electoral administration since 2018—demonstrating enhanced transparency and more reliable vote counting—public confidence in institutions remains fragile. This distrust persists, as many voters suspect that external influences or elite collusion skew political outcomes, even when election processes function correctly.

Ultimately, the looming challenge is not simply whether votes will be accurately counted. The greater concern rests with the acceptance of the election results amidst a society fraught with internal divisions and external pressures. Even well-administered elections risk igniting protests and unrest if the results are perceived as illegitimate, underscoring the need for a comprehensive strategy to ensure electoral integrity and promote societal cohesion.

The Economist reflects on Armenia PM Pashinyan’s shortcomings: Lot more monol

News.am, Armenia
May 15 2026

In 2023, Armenia lost a decades-long intermittent war against neighboring Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh. Since then Nikol Pashinyan, Armenia’s prime minister, has been trying to wrest a diplomatic victory from the jaws of military defeat. Let down by Russia, Armenia’s longtime patron, he is pivoting to America and Europe and working on a peace treaty with Azerbaijan, The Economist writes.

Many Armenians do not like Pashinyan. The walls of Armenian capital Yerevan are covered with images of fallen soldiers, reminiscent of his failures during the war.

The Economist recalls that on May 4-5, Armenia hosted a summit of the European Political Community, during which protesters outside waved Nagorno-Karabakh flags. Some refugees from the region wanted the bodies of their deceased relatives to be transferred to Armenia, others called on Azerbaijan to release the Armenian prisoners of war.

Some protesters believe Armenia’s pro-Western turn will backfire. It is turning Armenia into an arena for geopolitical games, one protester said.

Armenia’s Nationalist politicians are also expressing discontent, The Economist added. The Russian Armenian businessman Samvel Karapetyan, who heads one of the most prominent opposition group in Armenia, is under house arrest for calling for the overthrow of the government—but he denies the charges. Karapetyan has accused the Armenian government of giving in to Azerbaijan’s demands. He says Pashinyan is trying to provoke a war with Russia. Such views are not uncommon in Yerevan, but are less common in Armenia’s rural areas where the government has built roads and schools, The Economist notes.

Also, it highlighted that Pashinyan has shortcomings. His fight against corruption has weakened, and his populist style is irritating his opponents.

“You get a lot more monologue than dialogue from Pashinyan,” says Thomas de Waal of Carnegie Europe, a think-tank.

The Kremlin could also intervene, The Economist writes. Russia supplies 85 percent of Armenia’s natural gas and has a military base in the country. Russian companies own vital infrastructure in Armenia, a legacy of debt relief agreements signed by the country’s previous authorities. Russia recently banned the sale of some Jermuk company mineral water shipments to the country on dubious sanitary grounds. Such a tactic is likely to only deepen Armenians’ distrust of their former patron, The Economist concludes.

Prosperous Armenia Party leader’s spox: There are external supporters, namely

News.am, Armenia
May 15 2026

Prosperous Armenia Party leader’s spox: There are external supporters, namely Azerbaijan and Turkey, solely for ruling force

So far, only the ruling Civil Contract party has received external support in the upcoming parliamentary elections in Armenia. Iveta Tonoyan, spokesperson for the Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) chairman Gagik Tsarukyan, announced this at a press conference Friday.

Tonoyan commented on the accusations that the PAP allegedly receives support from Russia and Belarus. But according to her, only Armenia’s ruling party has received support at the level of foreign presidents and other high-ranking officials so far.

“The authorities of Turkey and Azerbaijan consistently express support for the Civil Contract. No external force, state, or official has expressed support for the [Armenian] opposition; in particular, Prosperous Armenia,” said Tonoyan.

Thus, according to her, there is actually external support for the participants in the June 7 parliamentary elections in Armenia, and it is the ruling party that receives it.

Referring to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s statements that the victory of the three opposition forces—Strong Armenia bloc, PAP, and “Hayastan” bloc—could lead to war, she noted that the Armenian authorities are trying to blackmail the public.

 “The war [with Azerbaijan] began during the reign of the current authorities. Thousands of [Armenian] boys died during their reign, thousands of boys became disabled during their reign, Artsakh [(Nagorno-Karabakh)] was also surrendered during their reign. The ‘party of war’ is definitely not the [Armenian] opposition, but the [incumbent Armenian] authorities themselves,” Tonoyan said.

Turkey and Armenia restart trade as EU urges border re-opening

The Brussels Times
May 14 2026

Turkey has announced the start of bilateral trade with Armenia, a move welcomed by the EU in a statement on Tuesday from the European External Action Service (EEAS).

The EU said the announcement followed a recent meeting of a bilateral working group from the two countries focused on restoring rail connections between Turkey and Armenia, which took place on 28 April 2026.

The EEAS said the start of bilateral trade forms part of a wider normalisation process between the two neighbours.

Rail links and the border

The EU also encouraged Turkey and Armenia to continue working together towards re-opening their shared border, the EEAS said.

Wings of Unity party PM candidate Arman Tatoyan to Armenia premier Nikol Pashi

News.am, Armenia
May 15 2026

Wings of Unity party PM candidate Arman Tatoyan to Armenia premier Nikol Pashinyan: Who are you to dismiss school principals?

A criminal scheme operates in Armenia, within the framework of which the authorities exert pressure from above on the directors of educational institutions so that they engage students and lecturers in the election campaign of the ruling Civil Contract party. Former Human Rights Defender of Armenia Arman Tatoyan, who heads the Wings of Unity party’s proportional representation list of the parliamentary candidates for the June 7 National Assembly election, announced this during a press conference Friday.

“Directors of [Armenia’s] educational institutions, in turn, instruct lecturers to do the same. The authorities, in order to escape accountability, appoint internal investigations so that their names are not circulated. Employees of educational institutions are involved in criminal activities. The current authorities operate according to the same scheme as the previous ones; these ones simply hiding behind the slogans of ‘democracy’ and ‘peace.’

I want to ask the prosecutor general and the head of the Investigative Committee: will the people who are leading the [election] campaign of the ruling party—[PM] Nikol Pashinyan, Lilit Makunts, Arayik Harutyunyan, Suren Papikyan—be arrested? They should be summoned for questioning and arrested,” Tatoyan noted.

He reflected also on the Armenian News-NEWS.am report on involving teachers from the Aparan community in the election campaign of the ruling party.

Tatoyan said that Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan, not having the right to do so, announced that he had instructed school principals to write letters of resignation. “Who are you to dismiss school principals? Besides, who will conduct an investigation? The provincial governors? They themselves are involved in that process,” Arman Tatoyan added, addressing Pashinyan.