The 15th Annual Advisory Forum on the Enlarged Partial Agreement (EPA) on Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe, as well as the informal meeting of its Governing Board, will take place in Armenia in September 2026.

The Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe, established in 2010, seeks to reinforce the potential of Cultural Routes for cultural cooperation, sustainable territorial development, and social cohesion, with a particular focus on themes of symbolic importance for European unity, history, culture, and values, as well as the discovery of less well-known destinations.

The EPA helps strengthen the democratic dimension of cultural exchange and tourism through the involvement of grassroots networks and associations, local and regional authorities, universities, and professional organizations. It contributes to the preservation of diverse heritage through thematic and alternative tourism itineraries and cultural projects.

A major event is the Annual Advisory Forum, which brings together representatives of Cultural Routes, national bodies, networks, and international heritage and tourism organizations. The Cultural Routes Annual Advisory Forum is organized in close collaboration with one of the member states of the EPA.

The memorandum of cooperation on Armenia hosting the event was signed by Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Alfred Kocharyan and Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe EPA Governing Board Executive Secretary Rui Gomes during the board meeting in Luxembourg, the ministry said.

Participants will discuss a range of challenges related to the preservation of cultural heritage, the development of sustainable tourism, and the promotion of community engagement.

According to the ministry, the forum will contribute to presenting Armenia’s cultural potential to the international community, highlighting the country’s role as an important regional hub within the framework of the Cultural Routes.

A new transit rail shipment from Russia to Armenia has been carried out via Azerbaijani territory.

Azerbaijan’s APA news agency reported that the cargo consists of wheat and aluminum.

APA said the shipment marked the first time aluminum has been transported to Armenia via Azerbaijani territory.

The shipment includes 700 tons of wheat and 133 tons of aluminum.

To date, a total of 26,000 tons of wheat, more than 3,800 tons of fertilizer, and 68 tons of buckwheat have been sent from Russia to Armenia via Azerbaijani territory.

In addition to transit shipments, Azerbaijan continues to export petroleum products to Armenia. So far, more than 8,500 tons of diesel fuel, 979 tons of AI-92 gasoline, and 2,955 tons of AI-95 gasoline have been exported from Azerbaijan to Armenia.

The cargo passes through Georgian territory, as the direct rail connection between Armenia and Azerbaijan has not yet been restored.

President of Latvia Edgars Rinkēvičs, during his official trip to Armenia, visited the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial in Yerevan on Thursday.

The Latvian President placed a wreath at the memorial and laid flowers at the Eternal Flame, honoring the memory of the victims of the Armenian Genocide.

Armenian Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Zhanna Andreasyan, as well as the acting director of the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute, Hrachya Tashchyan, accompanied President Rinkēvičs.

In 2021, the Latvian parliament officially recognized and condemned the Armenian Genocide.

During his official visit to Armenia, President Rinkēvičs will meet with his counterpart Vahagn Khachaturyan, as well as Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Speaker of Parliament Alen Simonyan. A meeting with representatives of youth organizations is also planned.

Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan has met with International Criminal Court (ICC) President Tomoko Akane, who visited Armenia to participate in the Yerevan Dialogue 2026 forum.

According to the Foreign Ministry’s readout, views were exchanged on cooperation between Armenia and the International Criminal Court, as well as issues related to engagement in international efforts aimed at upholding international legal norms and ensuring the rule of law.

Tourism in Armenia grew significantly in April and during the January–April period of 2026 compared to the same periods last year, with notable increases alongside a diversification of tourist origins, according to data presented at a government meeting.

Speaking at the Cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that in April 2026, the number of tourists visiting Armenia increased by 39 percent compared to the same period last year, while a 34 percent rise was recorded for the January–April period.

Economy Minister Gevorg Papoyan said that some diversification is being observed among tourists visiting Armenia.

“If in 2023, in the January–April period, visitors from the Russian Federation accounted for 52 percent of our total tourists, now they make up 36 percent. If in 2024 it was 42 percent, now it is 36 percent. That is, the share of a single country has decreased from more than 50 percent to around one-third,” Papoyan said.

Pashinyan emphasized that despite the decrease in share, it is important to note that the number of tourists from Russia has also increased.

According to Papoyan, the number of tourists from Russia this year reached 245,178, compared to 183,700 last year.

“In addition to those coming from Russia, the number of tourists has also increased from India, Italy, France, the United States, China, Germany, Ukraine, Iran, and Georgia. That is, the geography is quite broad,” the Economy Minister added.

According to him, while a few years ago the share of tourists visiting Armenia from Italy was 0.4 percent of the total number of tourists, it now exceeds 1 percent.

Armenia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Ararat Mirzoyan has been awarded the rank of Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour by decree of French President Emmanuel Macron.

The Legion of Honour is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and civil. It consists of five classes and was originally established in 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte. The Grand Officier (Grand Officer) class is the second highest, after the Grand Cross.

Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan were awarded the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour by Macron during his state visit earlier this week. Macron, in turn, was awarded Armenia’s Order of Glory for his significant contribution to strengthening bilateral relations.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has reiterated that water management will be among the government’s priorities for the next five years.

Speaking at a press briefing after the Cabinet meeting on Thursday, Pashinyan was asked whether the authorities are considering a possible review of cooperation with Veolia Water, the country’s water supply operator, given the frequent supply interruptions.

According to Pashinyan, water-related issues in Armenia remain urgent despite investments made in the sector.

“To the wear and tear of our infrastructure is added climate change, and we must carry out active work in this direction,” the Prime Minister said.

He noted that, in his assessment, the potential of Veolia Water has not been fully utilized, and cooperation needs to be made more effective.

“In my opinion, we have not been able to fully utilize the potential of Veolia Water, and we need to make that cooperation more effective in order to solve water-related problems, primarily ensuring 24-hour water supply in Yerevan, Gyumri, and Vanadzor,” Pashinyan said.

Pashinyan also stressed the importance of increasing access to irrigation water, describing it as a strategic program.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Thursday that ongoing efforts to relaunch the railway between Armenia and Türkiye are continuing, but noted that it is too early to provide any timeline.

Based on the agreements reached within the Armenia–Türkiye Normalization Process, a meeting of the Joint Working Group on the rehabilitation and operationalization of the Gyumri–Kars railway was held on 28 April 2026.

The meeting took place in the Turkish city of Kars.

Pashinyan was asked at a press briefing to comment on the meeting.

“We are working in that direction, and at this point I cannot say anything about the timelines, because there are many technical assessment tasks. Even now, during the work, we are identifying technical issues that we were unaware of a month ago, two months ago, and so on, because for about 40 years we have not properly maintained this infrastructure. We need to assess the needs and get to work,” the Prime Minister said.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has stressed the importance of holding the upcoming parliamentary elections, scheduled for June 7, in line with international democratic standards, emphasizing safeguards for the free _expression_ of voters’ will and the prevention of illegal interference.

“Of course, up to this point our law enforcement bodies have carried out enormous work, but vigilance should not be reduced in order to exclude the impact of vote-buying and other illegal means on the election results,” Pashinyan said at a press briefing, also stressing the importance of law enforcement attention to ensuring the legality of the campaign process.

The campaigning period will start on May 8.

Pashinyan said that all prerequisites exist for the elections to be held properly and in line with all democratic rules and standards, ensuring the free _expression_ and recording of the will of all citizens of Armenia, as well as competition of ideas, concepts, and programs.