Yerevan has welcomed Türkiye’s decision to lift the restrictions on bilateral trade with Armenia.

Armenian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ani Badalyan said in a statement on social media that the move is an important step toward the development of full and normal relations between the two countries.

“We welcome Türkiye’s decision to lift restrictions on bilateral trade with the Republic of Armenia, which is another outcome of the Armenia– Türkiye normalization process.

This decision is significant for expanding trade and business ties between the two countries, promoting economic connectivity in the region, and ensuring peace and prosperity.

We emphasize that this is an important step toward the development of full and normal relations between the two countries, which can be logically followed by the opening of the Armenia– Türkiye border and the establishment of diplomatic relations.”

A senior Armenian official in charge of normalization talks with Türkiye hailed on Wednesday Ankara’s move aimed at facilitating trade between the two countries.

Ruben Rubinyan, the Vice Speaker of the Armenian Parliament and Special Representative for Normalization with Türkiye, said in a statement that the new regulations formalized by Türkiye now enable businesses to engage in direct trade without re-declaring goods, as was done previously.

“Good news for businesspeople,” Rubinyan said on social media.

“Within the framework of the Armenia–Türkiye normalization process, due to a new regulation introduced in Türkiye, it will henceforth be possible for goods sent from Armenia to any third country and from there to Türkiye, or vice versa, to indicate the final destination or point of origin as ‘Armenia/Türkiye.’

In other words, direct trade between Armenia and Türkiye in customs terms—without re-documentation—has become possible.

We continue to work toward the opening of the [land] border, including the Gyumri–Kars railway,” Rubinyan added.

On May 13, Türkiye announced the completion of preparations to launch direct trade with Armenia.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan revealed the expected procedural changes earlier on May 12.

European Union Special Representative (EUSR) for the South Caucasus and the crisis in Georgia, Magdalena Grono, discussed Armenia’s normalization with Türkiye and the peace process with Azerbaijan during a meeting with a senior Turkish official.

Grono met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s chief advisor for foreign policy and security, Akif Çağatay Kılıç.

The Turkish official gave details of the talks on X.

“During the meeting, we discussed the Azerbaijan–Armenia peace process, the Turkey–Armenia normalization process, connectivity projects in the South Caucasus, issues of regional stability and security, as well as the EU’s approach to the region,” the Turkish official said on X.

Kılıç also emphasized the importance of joint efforts aimed at strengthening lasting peace, stability, and cooperation in the South Caucasus.

The Armenian Ministry of Economy has officially notified businesses about the launch of bilateral trade with Türkiye following Ankara’s announcement.

“Dear business community, as of May 11, 2026, the launch of direct trade between Armenia and Turkey has been announced. As a result, the opportunity has been created to carry out direct trade between the two countries, which will contribute to a significant reduction in costs and delivery times, as well as the expansion of new markets and cooperation opportunities for businesses. At the same time, in cases of transportation via third countries, the country of origin or final destination of goods may officially be indicated as ‘Armenia’ or ‘Türkiye,’” the Ministry of Economy said in a press release.

Türkiye has announced the completion of preparations to launch direct trade with Armenia.

Armenia has welcomed the decision as an important step toward the development of full and normal relations between the two countries.

Armenian businesses will now be able to import goods from Türkiye directly and without intermediaries, according to a statement issued by Armenia’s State Revenue Committee.

“As of May 11, 2026, the procedural preparations for the launch of direct trade between Armenia and Türkiye have been completed. This has been carried out within the framework of the normalization process underway since 2022, as part of confidence-building measures.

Under a new regulation that has entered into force in Türkiye, Armenia can now be listed as the final destination for goods exported from Türkiye.

What was the situation before? Turkish supplier companies were unable to indicate Armenian businesses as recipients, or Armenia as the country of destination, in export declarations submitted to Turkish customs authorities. As a result, goods reached Armenia through intermediary entities in third countries, such as Georgia, under re-export arrangements.

What has changed? From now on, Armenian businesses will be able to import goods from Türkiye directly in their own name, without intermediaries,” the statement said.

Türkiye’s Foreign Ministry announced the start of direct trade with Armenia on May 13.

Armenian and Georgian railway operators have discussed passenger transport cooperation and agreed on measures to expand and improve cross-border rail services between the two countries, including scheduled express and tourist train operations for the upcoming seasons.

South Caucasus Railway said in a press release that during talks with Georgian Railways, the two operators reached a number of agreements.

It said that a decision has been made to operate an express train on the Yerevan–Batumi–Yerevan route during the 2026 summer season. The parties have confirmed a schedule providing for departures on alternate days between June 14 and October 1, 2026. The railway operators have also agreed on the prompt exchange of passenger information in order to reduce train dwell time at border checkpoints during passenger clearance procedures, the South Caucasus Railway company said.

In addition, the parties have reached an agreement to operate a Yerevan–Batumi–Yerevan tourist train service between July 4 and 12 at the request of the Czech company “Gepard Express.” A group of tourists, primarily from the Czech Republic, is expected to travel on this route, with accommodation provided in South Caucasus Railway carriages and scheduled en-route stops allowing passengers to visit key tourist attractions in Armenia and Georgia. The company also noted that the South Caucasus Railway successfully organized a similar service for the first time in 2025.

Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan received a team from the American engineering and consulting company AECOM, which arrived in Armenia on behalf of the U.S. State Department’s Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGI) initiative to begin site survey work for TRIPP.

The Armenian government said in a press release that the company presented the Deputy Prime Minister with the main directions of the technical assessment study being developed, as well as the expected outcomes of the work.

The Deputy Prime Minister, emphasizing the significance of the TRIPP initiative in terms of strengthening peace and stability in the region, highlighted the importance of the ongoing work and presented the potential for unblocking regional communications. He underscored the significant potential for the transit of goods and resources through the territory of the Republic of Armenia.

The Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) is a connectivity project in Armenia, envisaged under the U.S.-brokered Armenian-Azerbaijani joint declaration signed in Washington, D.C. The project is expected to unlock strategic economic opportunities, create long-term benefits by promoting infrastructure investment, and enhance regional connectivity. 

AECOM had previously visited Armenia earlier this year.

Deputy Foreign Minister Mnatsakan Safaryan has received the copy of the credentials of Ghana’s newly appointed non-resident ambassador to Armenia, Koma Jehu-Appiah.

According to a press release from the Foreign Ministry, during the meeting following the credential presentation ceremony, the Deputy Foreign Minister congratulated the ambassador on assuming office, wishing him success and effective work.

The Deputy Foreign Minister and the ambassador noted with satisfaction the expanding cooperation on bilateral and multilateral platforms and expressed readiness to continue deepening political dialogue, as well as cooperation in technology, energy, culture, and other areas of mutual interest.

Algeria’s newly appointed ambassador to Armenia, Toufik Djouama, presented a copy of his credentials to Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Mnatsakan Safaryan.

According to a press release from the Foreign Ministry, Safaryan congratulated the ambassador on taking office and wished him success in his diplomatic mission. He expressed hope that the ambassador would contribute through his activities to strengthening and further developing friendly bilateral ties between Armenia and Algeria.

The parties held a detailed discussion on the current agenda of bilateral relations and issues related to cooperation on multilateral platforms.

Current regional and international issues were also discussed.

PACE communication division press release 

Following a two-day visit to Yerevan on 11 and 12 May 2026, a pre-electoral delegation of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has emphasised the importance of conducting the 7 June 2026 parliamentary elections in an environment free from fear, undue foreign influence and misuse of administrative resources.

The delegation expressed concern over the increasingly complex and systemic nature of foreign interference affecting Armenia’s political and information landscape. 

The delegation heard that foreign interference has evolved beyond traditional disinformation, now encompassing illicit political financing, cyberattacks, economic coercion and direct attempts to manipulate the electoral process. These hybrid tactics aim not only to sway public opinion but to secure long-term geopolitical leverage over Armenia.

The delegation was told about direct explicit requests from the Russian President to the Armenian Prime Minister to facilitate the voting of the Armenian diaspora from Russia and of encouragements of a financial nature proposed by the main opposition party to this particular branch of the diaspora to travel to Armenia and vote on election day.

The delegation highlighted that such interference constitutes a continuous and adaptive threat, extending well beyond the election period.

The delegation also noted the declarative support given by certain Western partners to the ruling party.

The delegation welcomes Armenia’s legal and regulatory framework to counter undue influence. However, existing mechanisms would benefit from reinforcement to address covert, co-ordinated and cross-border threats. The delegation feels that strengthening institutional capacity, enhancing inter-agency co-ordination and increasing transparency in political finance are all urgently needed.

Looking at the broader pre-electoral environment, the delegation also expressed concern about intensified disinformation targeting human rights defenders, journalists and civil society organisations. Narratives such as accusations of being a “foreign agent” jeopardise public trust and restrict the civic space. The delegation heard reports of co-ordinated inauthentic activity and manipulative social media content and hoped that technology companies will take stronger action against such campaigns.

The delegation is also concerned by the increasing legal pressures, including strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs), which target civil society, journalists and election observers. These tactics risk chilling free _expression_ and deterring democratic participation. The delegation stressed that a vibrant, independent civil society is essential for democratic elections and must be protected from intimidation.

Further issues of concern include growing political polarisation, low public trust in institutions and a general lack of interest in politics, in particular from the young generation. The delegation heard about harsh campaign rhetoric and allegations of misuse of administrative resources, voter pressure, unregulated third-party campaigning, and vote-buying (sometimes disguised as charity).

The unprecedented implication of the Armenian Apostolic Church in politics has also been noted by the delegation.

Transparency and accountability in campaign finance remain critical, especially in view of recent legislative changes that have raised donation limits without fully addressing oversight gaps.

The delegation underscored that safeguarding electoral integrity requires collaboration among national authorities, civil society and international partners, as well as responsible action by digital platforms. It welcomed the constructive co-operation of Armenian authorities and stakeholders ahead of the 7 June 2026 elections, recognising the vote’s importance for Armenia’s democratic and geopolitical trajectory, especially amid ongoing peace efforts and regional transformation.

The delegation heard allegations of double standards in the justice system, the representatives of the opposition complaining about a large number of politicians and members of the clergy under investigation or on house arrest further to justice decisions.

During its visit, the delegation met with the Vice-President of the National Assembly, members of Armenia’s PACE delegation, the leaders of parliamentary and extra-parliamentary parties, the Deputy Minister of Justice, the Chairman of the Anti-Corruption Committee, the Chairman and other representatives of the Information Systems Agency, the President and members of the Central Election Commission, the Head and Deputy Head of Mission of the OSCE’s ODIHR and members of the diplomatic corps in Yerevan, as well as representatives of the media and civil society.

The delegation acknowledged the Central Election Commission’s efforts, such as training and partnering with the Information Systems Agency, to enhance cybersecurity.

In the short time before election day, the PACE delegation urges Armenian authorities to intensify efforts to protect against foreign interference and ensure a level playing field for all contestants. It encourages civil society organisations to continue their vital role in monitoring, reporting and promoting democratic standards.

PACE will deploy a fully-fledged election observation mission to observe 7 June 2026 elections alongside observers from ODIHR, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and the European Parliament.