From roadside crops to government procurement. “Strong Armenia” Tesla

Emil Lazarian

The lack of government procurement points for agricultural products puts farmers in border communities in a humiliating situation, forcing them to sell their crops on the side of the roads for years instead of systematically exporting. Narek Karapetyan, who heads the proportional list of the alliance of “Strong Armenia” parties, announced this in a video message published on his Facebook page on May 13 within the framework of the pre-election campaign in Tavush region.


Sharing the impressions of the meetings held in Noyemberyan, Berd and Bagratashen, the opposition figure emphasized that the potential of the region is not being used effectively due to the inaction of the authorities. Narek Karapetyan noted the paradoxical situation when in fertile regions, where almost everything grows, from peaches to oranges and olives, the villagers are deprived of the basic conditions for the sale of products.


“It is surprising that until now no one in Armenia has dealt with this issue, which is why our villages are in such a wretched state,” he emphasized, promising to introduce a program for the creation of procurement stations in every village. Karapetyan also proposed clear support mechanisms for the border zone, in particular, provision of cheap gas to greenhouse farms. This will allow to promote the development of production in the border regions.


Summarizing the visit, Narek Karapetyan thanked the residents of Tavush region for their warm welcome and expressed his confidence that with the right economic approach and the activation of agriculture, great progress is expected for the region.

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Regular criminal proceedings against a member of “Strong Armenia”.

Nahapetian Zhanna

 


As a result of operative investigative measures carried out by the RA anti-corruption committee officers, factual information was obtained that the head of the office of the non-governmental organization for the protection of national values ​​”Our way” paid electoral bribes to a number of citizens who had the right to vote on the condition of voting for the “Strong Armenia” party during the National Assembly elections. This is reported by the Anti-Corruption Committee.


“Besides, the same person gave free money for surgery to a resident of the city of Yerevan, who is a voter, under the name of charity, from the day the decision on the appointment of the National Assembly elections came into force until the summary of the election results.


In connection with the case, the Anti-Corruption Committee initiated criminal proceedings, arrested a number of persons, carried out searches and other administrative actions.

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Serdar Kilic on bilateral trade restrictions between Turkey and Armenia

Edgar Tavakalian

 


Serdar Kılıç, Turkey’s special representative for relations with Armenia, commented on the removal of restrictions on bilateral trade with Armenia.


“Within the framework of the process of normalization of Turkish-Armenian relations implemented by the President’s instruction, another important step has been taken in the direction of establishing lasting peace and stability in the region. I wish that this will be useful both for the business circles and peoples of both countries, and for our entire region,” he wrote in X.

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RA authorities are following the path of falsifying elections

Karagyozian Lena

From the 3rd-4th day of the campaign before the elections have even started, it is already clear that the authorities are following the path of falsifying the elections. Pashinyan’s statements already testify to this, when he endlessly links domestic political forces with foreign forces.


What is the connection between Putin, Lukashenko and others? He sees very well that from the very beginning of the campaign he is losing in all cities and other settlements. And taking all this into account, he goes on the path of falsifying elections. And neither the west nor the north and the south have anything to do with these elections.


These elections answer only one question: do we choose Armenia or “Western Azerbaijan”? We are choosing whether we will be able to live in Armenia or whether we will repeat the fate of the people of Artsakh.


And since he has decided to disrupt the program debate, we must talk to our people in every possible way, explain this simple truth.

The opposition should be alert and try to quickly understand under which scenario it will try to disrupt the normal course of the elections: a “Moldovan” scenario, a “Romanian” one, or a “Nicolanian” one.


Vahe Hovhannisyan Alternative projects group




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Supporters and office workers of “Strong Armenia” were detained

Hambardsumian Paul
Ֆոտո․ am.sputniknews.ru

“Strong Armenia” party supporters and office workers have been brought to the anti-corruption committee for several hours now, and the participation of the defenders is hindered. Lawyer Lusine Martirosyan alerted about this on her Facebook page.


In particular, he noted: “We applied to the Human Rights Council and as always, now we will intervene, now they will be contacted. In the end, the individuals do not want a private defender, they want a public defender… Now it’s a question of logic, criminal procedure, principle, unjustified waste of state resources, in which format all this fits.”


Earlier today, the RA Anti-Corruption Committee issued a message stating that it received factual data that the head of the NGO “Our Way” office paid electoral bribes to a number of citizens who had the right to vote for the “Strong Armenia” party during the NA elections. The anti-corruption committee also published another intercepted transcript.

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Third Installment of Literary Lights 2026 Reading Series to Feature Editor and

Garo Vardanian

Third Installment of Literary Lights 2026 Reading Series to Feature Editor and Contributors of Landmark Anthology Remain In Light

The third installment of Literary Lights 2026 will feature the editor and poetry contributors of the landmark anthology, Remain in Light: Visions of Homeland and Diaspora. Event host and contributor Shahé Mankerian will be joined by editor Gassia Armenian and fellow Los Angeles-based poets, Tina Demirdjian, Arminé Iknadossian, Arthur Kayzakian and Raffi Joe Wartanian.

The free and virtual event, cosponsored by the Fowler Museum at UCLA, will take place on May 17, 2026, at 10:00 AM Pacific | 1:00 PM Eastern | 9:00 PM Armenia Time. Register here.

Remain in Light endeavors to visualize the contemporary Armenian experience in the homeland and in Los Angeles, home to the largest Armenian population in diaspora. The first wave of immigrants came to California in the late 1800s; the second was spurred by the Armenian genocide of 1915. Further Armenian migrants, from Soviet Armenia, the Middle East, Iran, and other countries, continue to find solace, pride, and connection in the traditions, customs, religion, language, and memories they brought with them.

Sossi Madzounian, Ara Mgrdichian, and Ara Oshagan, three diaspora-born Armenian artists living in Los Angeles, share their perspectives on the life of their people in the old world and the new, illuminating the evolving social fabric of Armenian life: survival in the homeland, the immigrant experience in diaspora, and the rebirth of Armenian Americans on new soil. This book pairs their photographs with poems by LA-based poets Tina Demirdjian, Arminé Iknadossian, Arthur Kayzakian, Shahé Mankerian, and Raffi Joe Wartanian. The volume is a tribute to all these artists, and to Armenians across the globe.

Anthology Editor

Gassia Armenian is a curator and researcher at the Fowler Museum at UCLA, where she conducts collections research and manages exhibitions. She has curated notable exhibitions on Armenian textiles and diaspora, recognized by the Armenian Academy of Sciences in 2023, and pioneering shows featuring interactive technology. Her current exhibition focuses on the Ifugao people of the Philippines. Previously, she worked with USAID in Armenia on civics education curricula.

Anthology Poetry Contributors

Tina Demirdjian is a poet and teaches poetry in schools and museums in Los Angeles. She is a culture bearer through her art practice, and founder of the Armenian Dress & Textile Project. She is the author of the poetry collection IMPRINT. She is on the Board at Brand Library & Art Center, where she co-facilitates ARTful Conversations in the gallery.

Armine Iknadossian is the author of All That Wasted Fruit (Main Street Rag).In 2022, Iknadossian received two grants from the Arts Council of Long Beach to write her second volume of poetry. She has also received fellowships from Idyllwild Arts, The Los Angeles Writing Project and Otis College of Art and Design. She serves on the Advisory Board of IALA. 

Arthur Kayzakian is the finalist for the 2024 Kate Tufts Award, and the winner of the 2021 inaugural Black Lawrence Immigrant Writing Series for his collection, The Book of Redacted Paintings (Black Lawrence Press, 2023), which was also selected as a finalist for the 2021 Philip Levine Prize for Poetry. He is the recipient of the 2023 creative writing fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts. He is a founding member and serves as the Poetry Chair for the International Armenian Literary Alliance (IALA). His work has appeared in several publications, including The Adroit Journal, Chicago Review, Cincinnati Review, The Southern Review, among other journals.

Shahé Mankerian is principal of St. Gregory Hovsepian School in Pasadena and Director of Mentorship at the International Armenian Literary Alliance. A former co-director of the Los Angeles Writing Project, he is the author of History of Forgetfulness (2021), a semifinalist for the Khayrallah Prize and finalist for several national poetry awards.

Raffi Joe Wartanian is a writer, musician, and educator who teaches writing at UCLA and serves as the inaugural Poet Laureate in the City of Glendale, California. A 2025-2026 Laureate Fellow with the Academy of American Poets, his writing has appeared in The New York Times, Academy of American Poets, and elsewhere.

Literary Lights 2026 is a monthly reading series organized by the International Armenian Literary Alliance, the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research, and the Krikor and Clara Zohrab Information Center. Each event—held online or in-person—will feature a writer reading from their work, followed by a discussion with an interviewer and audience members. Read along with the series by purchasing Remain in Light and more titles at IALA’s Bookshop.org storefront.

Missed the last Literary Lights 2026 event featuring Rose by the Sea author Rebecca Rose Mooradian? Watch the full recording here.

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“Iran’s Literary Heritage and Firdousi”

Chalian Meline
📌 On the occasion of the birthday of the great poet of Iran Abulghasem Firdous and the day of Persian language and literature will be held “Iran’s Literary Heritage and Firdousi” scientific and cultural seminar.
The aim of the seminar is to reevaluate the role of Firdous and his “Shahnameh” in the development of the Persian language, the formation of Iranian identity and the preservation of Iran’s cultural heritage.
🗓 Time:in 2026 on May 15 at 10:30.
📍Place:“Firdusu” Hall of YSU Oriental Studies Faculty.
We cordially invite all lecturers, Iranologists, Persian language learners and all persons interested in Persian language and Persian literature to participate in this event.
Culture Center of the Embassy of the Republic of Iran in the Republic of Armenia in cooperation with the Yerevan State University

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The Cultural Center of The Embassy of The Islamic Republic of Iran in The Republic of Armenia

Armenia, Yerevan, M. Chailakhyan Ave. 2a.

M: 094901034

T: 010 229053/ 010 229054

E: [email protected]

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Armenpress: Iran sets five preconditions for renewed negotiations with U.S.

Hovik Karapetian
Iran10:30, 13 May 2026
Read the article in: ArmenianRussian:

Tehran will not enter a second round of negotiations with the United States unless five trust-building conditions are met, Iranian media reported, citing an informed source.

According to the Fars News Agency, the source described the conditions as “minimum trust-building guarantees” required before any new negotiations with Washington could begin.

According to the report, the conditions include ending hostilities on all fronts, particularly in Lebanon; lifting sanctions on Iran; releasing frozen Iranian assets; compensating Iran for war damage; and recognizing Iran’s sovereign rights over the Strait of Hormuz. The source said the demands were conveyed to the United States in response to a 14-point U.S. proposal.

The source said the conditions were intended solely to establish a minimum level of trust needed to resume dialogue.

Iran and the United States agreed to a ceasefire on April 8 following 40 days of fighting that started with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Tehran and other Iranian cities on Feb. 28. Iranian and U.S. delegations later met for talks in Islamabad on April 11 and 12 but did not reach an agreement. In recent weeks, the two sides have exchanged several draft proposals through Pakistan as part of efforts to end the conflict.

Earlier this week, U.S. President Donald Trump swiftly rejected Iran’s response to Washington’s peace proposal.

Read the article in: ArmenianRussian:

Published by Armenpress, original at 
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Armenia welcomes Turkey move to lift bilateral trade ban

Manouk Vasilian
JAM News
May 13 2026
  • JAMnews
  • Yerevan

Turkey has officially announced the completion of preparations for the launch of direct trade with Armenia. Yerevan welcomed Ankara’s decision to lift the ban on bilateral trade.

Signs of possible progress in Armenian-Turkish normalisation first emerged yesterday afternoon. Journalists noticed Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan whispering to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan: “The Turks are opening today.”

Pashinyan later explained that Turkish regulations had prevented companies from naming Armenia as the destination for exports. As a result, goods had travelled through third countries. He said the foreign minister had informed him that Turkey had now lifted the ban on direct trade.

  • ‘We mutually closed page of enmity’: Armenian Parliament Speaker on relations with Turkey
  • Pashinyan says Armenia’s normalisation with Turkey is nearing
  • ‘Armenia expects concrete steps from Turkey’: what was achieved and what’s still possible

“Preparations completed on 11 May”: statement from Ankara

“As part of the normalisation process with Armenia that began in 2022, and the confidence-building measures linked to it, preparations for the launch of direct trade between our country and Armenia were completed on 11 May 2026,” Oncu Keceli, spokesperson for Turkey’s foreign ministry, wrote on X.

He said the new regulation now allows companies to list Armenia — rather than third countries — as the final destination or country of origin of goods.

Keceli added that the “technical and bureaucratic work” needed to open the border between the two countries was still under way:

“In light of the historic opportunity to strengthen long-term peace and prosperity in the South Caucasus, Turkey will continue contributing to the development of economic ties in the region and to deeper cooperation for the benefit of all countries and peoples of the region.”

“Another result of the normalisation process”: reaction from Yerevan

Armenia’s foreign ministry welcomed Turkey’s decision to lift restrictions on bilateral trade. Foreign ministry spokesperson Ani Badalyan described the move as another result of the normalisation process:

“This decision is important for expanding trade ties and business contacts between the two countries, strengthening economic connectivity and ensuring peace and prosperity in the region.”

She said the move marked an important step towards establishing full relations between the two countries. She added that opening the Armenian-Turkish border and establishing diplomatic relations could become its “logical continuation”.

Armenia’s special envoy for the normalisation process with Turkey, Ruben Rubinyan, wrote on Facebook:

“Direct trade between Armenia and Turkey, in customs terms and without re-registration, has now become possible.”

He added that work on reopening the border and the Gyumri-Kars railway was continuing.

Journalists learned of the expected announcement from Turkey before the official statement

A day earlier, during a campaign event for the ruling party in Yerevan, Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan whispered to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan:

“The Turks are opening today. Do you remember the codes? Let’s prepare a welcome statement and a comment from the foreign ministry spokesperson.”

In response, Pashinyan pointed to the microphone attached to him for the live broadcast.

“If the moment for whispering had passed, we would not be whispering and would speak directly in front of the cameras. If something has not yet become public, the process is still continuing,” Mirzoyan told journalists who asked him for comment.

Pashinyan later explained what kind of progress Armenia expected from Turkey:

“When goods are purchased in one country and exported elsewhere, the recipient and destination country must be specified. Previously, under Turkish regulations, Armenia was not included on that list. Companies therefore processed shipments through a third country. Only after that did the goods enter Armenia. Now they are changing the regulations so Armenia can appear on the list as a destination country.”

Context

Turkey officially recognised Armenia in 1991, but the two countries still do not have diplomatic relations. In 1993, Turkey unilaterally closed its land and air borders with Armenia. The air border reopened in 1995. Armenia’s foreign ministry says international pressure played a key role in that decision.

Talks on normalising relations intensified after the second Karabakh war. Although Armenia and Turkey conduct the negotiations bilaterally, Ankara openly acknowledges that it coordinates its position with Azerbaijan.

In December 2021, Yerevan and Ankara announced their readiness to normalise relations. The two countries appointed special envoys — Ruben Rubinyan and Serdar Kilic.

At the beginning of 2026, several Armenian media outlets reported that the border with Turkey would open on 1 February for third-country nationals and holders of diplomatic passports. Rubinyan and Kilic had reached the agreement back in July 2022.

The Margara checkpoint on the Armenian side has been ready to operate since December 2023. However, despite the agreements already reached, the border remains closed.

One of the more positive developments came at the end of 2025, when Armenia and Turkey agreed to simplify visa procedures for holders of diplomatic, special and service passports. Since 1 January 2026, they have been able to obtain free electronic visas.

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Turkey and Armenia move closer to direct trade links in sign of warming ties

Hunanian Jack
Cyprus Mail
May 13 2026

Turkey and Armenia move closer to direct trade links in sign of warming ties

Turkey 

Wednesday 13 May 
By Reuters News Service

Turkey lifted some customs restrictions on Armenia on Wednesday, paving the way for direct trade links between the two countries in a further sign of normalising ties after over 30 years of strained relations.

Turkey was one of the first countries to recognise Armenia’s independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, but it closed its border and halted direct trade with its neighbour in 1993 in support of its close ally Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with Armenia.

The neighbours have had no formal diplomatic relations since then amid a legacy of deep historical hostility stemming from the World War One mass killing of Armenians by Ottoman forces, considered a genocide by Armenia and many other countries.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday that the new regulations meant goods going from Turkey to a third country and then onto Armenia, or vice versa, can now have their final destination or country of origin listed as either “Armenia” or “Turkey”.

PEACE DEAL COULD TRANSFORM SOUTH CAUCASUS

Armenia, with an economy a tiny fraction of Turkey’s and heavily dependent on energy supplies from Russia and Iran, welcomed the news.

“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,” Armenian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ani Badalyan said, according to the Armenpress state news agency.

Negotiations are ongoing between Yerevan and Ankara to reopen their 311 km (193-mile) border.

Ankara has said it wants to reopen the eastern frontier, but only if Armenia signs a peace treaty with Azerbaijan, with which Turkey has cultural and linguistic ties. Yerevan is also keen to see the border reopened.

Armenia and Azerbaijan reached a U.S.-brokered peace agreement last August to put an end to their nearly four decades of conflict, but have yet to sign a formal peace deal.

Such a treaty could transform the South Caucasus, an energy-producing region neighbouring Russia, Europe and Iran that is criss-crossed by oil and gas pipelines but riven by closed borders and longstanding ethnic conflicts.

Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oncu Keceli said on Wednesday that work on reopening border crossings between Turkey and Armenia was continuing.

The two countries signed a memorandum of understanding earlier this month to restore the Ani Bridge, a historic 10th-century structure spanning a river across their shared frontier.

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